The Positive Feedback Loop
by Hopefully536
Summary: On the first day of junior year of high school, Aiden Lucas meets an intriguing girl, one who has so much positive energy that the ghosts of Grandview flock to her and feed off her energy. Only a novice ghost whisperer, Aiden must help Megan without letting her know what he's doing. To make matters worse, he might be falling in love with her.
1. Chapter 1

**Hi everyone! I'm Hopefully536, formerly known as Anabelgem14. I haven't written anything in a long while, and this is something different than anything I've ever written. Hopefully, this story can inspire you. That's my ultimate goal in life- to inspire others. **

**This story is focused on Aiden, and an OC of my own creation. It's based in the future, starting with Aiden's first day of Junior Year. Please, be patient with me on updates because while I have most of the story written, there's still a lot of things I want to finish within the story and because I'm a college student, it will have to work around my schedule.**

**Please, feel free to read and review. God Bless!**

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><p>Of course Megan would be lost again. The assistant in the front office only pointed her in the direction of her first class. She'd had to fend for herself the rest of the day. She'd had to explain about five different times that yes, she was new, and if you could just point her in the direction of the class she'd greatly appreciate it. Most of them laughed at her. Cheeks red, she'd walk off quickly, even if it was in the wrong direction, just to get away from the person.<p>

Megan didn't know how she felt about Grandview yet. This was a small town, smaller than Littleton. Whereas her graduating class at Littleton had about 1,000 'fresh faces', as the principal called them, Grandview had a whopping 200. It was only about an hour away from Littleton, which meant she could go and see her friends virtually whenever she wanted. Tori told her that she and Spencer might come up this weekend so they could dish about the first week. That'd be nice.

She couldn't be mad at her dad, though. His job was what gave them a leg to stand on. Sure, her mom worked, but being a seamstress didn't bring home as much as being a lawyer. Her dad always says it's good to have a lawyer in the family.

Megan secretly hoped that moving away from Littleton, and consequently, the city, would allow her a break from her constant headaches. She told her mom, and the doctor said it was probably allergies, and then a reaction to the pollution from the city when the allergy medicine didn't work. Grandview air smelled nice, but there was still a dull ache at the base of her skull as she searched for her history class.

She blew back a piece of short blond hair from in front of her eyes as she looked down at her schedule. Room 209. How hard was it? It should be on the second floor, right across the hall from 208. She saw 208, but the hallway ended. Frustrated, she rounded the corner, and ran right into a person—a boy.

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><p>Aiden was walking towards his last class- history. It was the first day of school, and he was already wanted to be done for the day. He didn't know if he could handle Mrs. Green droning on about the Civil War for an hour. He turns the corner and runs right into a person—a girl. He only knows because he got close enough to smell her perfume. It smells nice.<p>

"Excuse me, miss." He steps back and takes this opportunity to take a good look at her. She's blonde, about a head shorter than he is; he inherited his dad's height. Her eyes are blue, and they are surrounded by full, rosy cheeks. She's smiling. It's a nice smile.

"Finally, a person with manners in this town."

"Are you new?"

The girl nods. "My family just moved here from Littleton. I'm Megan."

Aiden extends his hand and shakes hers, gently. "Aiden."

The warning bell rings, and Megan blushes. "I hate to ask, but could you point me in the direction of my next class? I'm a little turned around."

Aiden takes a look at her schedule, and smiles internally. "History. Me too. We can walk together." She smiles and nods. For some reason, Aiden just can't get enough of her smile.

When they reach the room, which was, to Megan's frustration, nowhere near 208, Aiden hangs back. "I'm going to get a drink of water real fast."

When he turns back to Megan after getting a drink, he freezes. She's _surrounded_ by ghosts. At least 15, probably more. She obviously had no idea they were there. If she did, she was the best actor ever. They were all screaming at her. She looked behind her, trying to follow Aiden's gaze. "Is something wrong?" How had he not noticed them before? They were impossible to ignore now.

Aiden shakes his head, putting on a fake smile. "Nope. Just not sure if I'm ready to learn about Teddy Roosevelt for the 5th time." Inside, he was freaking out. So many ghosts.

After the teacher was finished with first day regulations and policies, they had a few minutes of small talk to themselves before the release bell.

"So you said your family moved here from Littleton. Why did you guys move?"

"My dad got relocated. He's a lawyer. Mom works from home. Grandview's still close enough so that I can see my old friends, though, so I'm not too bitter." She laughs, tucking a stray piece of hair behind her ear.

"Tell me about your family." Aiden is digging, trying to find out if all of these ghosts are personal ghosts. How can one person know so many dead people?

Megan thinks for a minute. Her family was her family—how should she describe them to another person, a stranger? "Well. It's always been my mom and dad and my little brother. He's in middle school. My parents have been married for 21 years. What about you?"

"I've lived in Grandview my whole life. It's just me and my mom and dad. My dad's a doctor and my mom owns an antique shop downtown."

"I love antiques!"

An idea pops into Aiden's head. If he brings Megan downtown, his mom might be able to help them out with the ghost problem. "Her shop's open today. We could go see it, and maybe grab some coffee or tea?"

Megan smiles. "That sounds nice."

They grab coffee from Village Java and start walking down to the shop. "It's such a cute little town."

Aiden snorts. "I'm surprised you say that. Most girls from Littleton are snobby city girls." After Megan gives him a look, he coughs. He didn't mean that the way it sounded. "You're not."

"Thanks, I think. I appreciate that. I've just always loved the ideal of small towns. Everybody knows everybody and is always there to help out. I love being able to walk around the town square and feel so safe."

"You sound like my mom. I bet you guys get along just great."

The door opens and a bell rings. Melinda comes out from the back room, and smiles when she sees Aiden. Her smile fades when she sees Megan's ghosts. Aiden clears his throat. The smile returns. "Hi, honey."

"Mom, this is Megan. She's new in town so I was just showing her around. She really likes antiques."

Megan gives a small wave to Melinda. "Your shop is so beautiful. Do you run this all by yourself?" Megan mills around, taking in everything with big eyes.

Melinda is trying to count the ghosts. She can't. "Yes. I'm looking to hire an assistant, though. The books are getting unruly. Do you know anyone interested that's good at math?"

Megan snaps around. "I am!"

Her peppiness takes Melinda off guard. "Really?" Melinda gives Aiden a look. "How perfect!" Melinda grabs an application off the desk and hands it to Megan.

"Thank you."

"You've been the only applicant all month. If you just wanna fill that out really quick, you've got the job!"

Megan nods, and leans over the counter to begin filling out the application.

"Aiden, could I get your help carrying up a box from the basement?"

Aiden nods, scared that his mother is going to chew him out for bringing a ghost-toting girl into his shop.

When they get downstairs, Melinda turns to her son, arms crossed. "It's so amazing! She's not drained or anything! I've never seen someone so positive!"

Aiden nods, smiling. He knew he made the right choice bringing Megan into the shop. "I'm guessing that's why Megan has a job now."

"I'm guessing that's why you talked to her in the first place?" Melinda said in a motherly tone, shifting on her feet.

"Actually, no. I didn't even notice them until we stopped talking. Honestly, I was kind of distracted." He says, rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly.

"How could you not see them? There's at least 15."

Aiden nods. "I'm aware of that now."

Melinda strikes a face of realization. "You like her!"

Aiden blushes. "Mom, stop. We only just met. I was just getting to know her, that's all."

"This is your first crush! Aw, my Aiden's growing up!"

"Mom, keep your voice down! I don't want to scare her off before we get the chance to fix the ghost problem."

"It should tell you something about this girl that you think you liking her would scare her off before the ghost problem. She seems special. Most kids your age think antiques are old and dusty relics. You included." With that, Melinda points to a big box on the floor. Aiden groans.

Melinda heads back upstairs, Aiden behind her. Megan is still working on the application. When she finishes, she hands it to Melinda.

"Excellent! Can you start Wednesday?"

Megan nods. "I'll have to clear this with my parents, of course, but they shouldn't mind. Dad works just down the street. In the law firm."

Melinda smiles and files the application. "You can give them my business card."

Aiden watches the women as Melinda runs down some basics with Megan, and when Megan looks over and smiles at him, his heart flutters.

Around 5, when Melinda closes the shop, she offers Megan a ride home.

"Oh, no thank you. I live close enough to hoof it. It's a beautiful day."

Melinda nods, and clears her throat, throwing a pointed look at Aiden.

"I could walk with you, if you'd like?" He asks.

"Okay."

The walk to Megan's really is close, just about ten blocks from downtown. They moved into an almost new house, so it was impossible that all of her ghosts were attached to the house. It was a beautiful house, but it was obvious they were still moving in. There were boxes thrown out to the curb, and the 'sold' sign was still sitting in the yard.

"Would you like to come in?"

Aiden nods. "Yeah, I can stay for a little bit."

Megan pushes the door open and throws her bag on the box next to the door. "There's a set of hooks in that box that Dad is supposed to hang up this weekend. I'm just giving him some motivation."

Aiden nods, looking around. There are only a few pictures up so far. One of them is a large portrait of Megan and her family. Megan is really very pretty, and the rest of her family is good-looking as well. Megan inherited her blonde from her mother, as well as her smile.

"I'm home, guys!" Megan peeks into the living room, trying to find someone.

Her brother, who Aiden recognizes from the portrait, walks out from the kitchen. "Hey, Meg."

"Hi, Jamie. How'd school go?"

Her brother has a bag of chips in his hand, gaming headphones hanging around his neck, and pays Aiden little attention as he chews loudly with his mouth open. "I don't like my math teacher. She gave us homework."

"Which you need to do before you play any video games." A woman—Megan's mother—walks into the room with a dusting rag and some cleaning supplies. She sets them on the counter, and holds out her hand. Jamie groans and hands her the wireless headphones. "Thank you, sir. Get started after your snack, please."

Jamie nods, heading into the living room.

Megan's mother smiles at Megan and Aiden. "Hi." She isn't very good at hiding her shock at Megan bringing a boy home after the first day in a new school.

"Mom, this is Aiden. He showed me to one of my classes today. We got coffee, which is why I'm a little late." Aiden extends his hand, and Megan's mother shakes it, giving him a warm and friendly smile.

"Hi. I'm Megan's mom. You can call me Mrs. Foster, or Lacey, if you'd like."

"Thank you, ma'am. Your home is beautiful."

Lacey gives him an approving look. "It still needs a few decorations. What nice manners. Your mother raised you right."

Megan's eyes light up. "Oh, mom, you'll never believe it. Aiden's mom owns an antique shop downtown! We went in today and it's so beautiful. She offered me a job!"

Lacey walks into the kitchen, off the left side of the hallway, and Megan and Aiden follow. Megan gets two bottles of water out of the fridge and offers one to Aiden. Lacey stirs what's on the stove. "That's great, honey." She glances to Aiden. "Megan has such a fascination with antiques. I think she was actually meant to be born in a different century." She says, with a laugh. "If you're sure you want to do it, I can't stop you. I would like to run by there tomorrow and talk to the owner. Give her my contact information and introduce myself. Aiden, will you be staying for dinner?"

Aiden checks the clock. It's nearly 5:30, and he didn't want to intrude. "No, thank you, Mrs. Foster. I should be getting home. I just wanted to walk Megan home."

"That was nice of you. It was nice to meet you. I'm sure I'll be seeing you again."

Megan walks Aiden to the door. "I'll see you tomorrow?"

Aiden nods. "See you tomorrow. "

Aiden is kicking himself no sooner than he left her driveway. He hadn't gotten her number. He'd be sure to ask her for it tomorrow, should it come up. Wednesday, for sure. The walk back to his house is about a twenty minute walk, but the weather really _is_ great, so he doesn't even mind. He gets home right as his father is pulling into the driveway. Over the years, his dad moved up in ranks in the hospital, and now his hours were very flexible. He made sure he was home for dinner at least twice a week.

"Hey, champ. How was school?"

"Pretty good, I guess. I don't think any of my classes are going to be too hard this year."

They walk into the house, and smell Melinda cooking something mouthwatering. Jim places his coat and briefcase on the entryway table. "What about Calculus?"

Aiden shrugs. "I met a new girl today and she's apparently some math whiz. She said she'd help me if I helped her a little bit in history."

"And she's going to work in the shop with me." Melinda chimes in, kissing each of her boys.

"That seems a little sudden." Jim suggests, pouring himself a drink.

"Well, it might, if she didn't have twenty something ghosts attached to her." Melinda replies.

Jim's eyes go wide. "Seriously?"

Throughout dinner, they discuss Megan's ghosts. Aiden is excited to go to school tomorrow, for once in his life, to start helping them.


	2. Chapter 2

**Hey! This is the second chapter of The Positive Feedback Loop. A few things need to be discussed before this chapter begins. The first is that this story will take place over the course of several years, so it's a good idea to keep the passage of time in the back of your mind. I try to make note as best as I can, but we all slip up. The second is something fun, in my opinion. Throughout writing this story, I have a playlist of songs that keep me motivated and inspired. I will occasionally be posting the names of those songs, so that you all can listen to them if you like. That will be at the end of the chapter, with an explanation. Okay, here's the chapter!**

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><p>Megan is unpacking boxes in her room Saturday night after she gets done at the shop for the day. She hasn't really had any other opportunity besides now. There is newspaper scattered all across her room, and even though she keeps stepping on it and ripping it, she can't be bothered to put it in the trash bag sitting by her closet.<p>

She's been gaining decorating inspiration from the shop. Her room itself was an antique shop of sorts, from a very old jewelry box to figurines and an old dressing screen standing in the corner.

"Hello?" She hears her friend Tori call from the hallway.

"Tori! Spence! You're here!" Megan had invited her best friends from Littleton up for the night, and they agreed immediately. Even though they'd only said their goodbyes a week and a half ago, it was still a long time to go without seeing your best friends, especially through the first week of school.

Tori and Spencer come in, carrying duffle bags. They drop them by the door, and the three girls embrace in a giggly hug. "So dish." Tori says, grabbing the trash bag and stuffing handfuls of newspaper inside. Spencer drops her keys by her bag and starts putting Megan's clothes on hangers; they were in a big pile on her floor. Her dark blonde curly hair is in its signature ponytail.

"Well, school is school. The food sucks no matter where you go, and history is still the most boring subject ever. I've made a couple friends, though, and I have a job."

Tori looks at Megan. "You're blushing. Did you meet any _cute _friends?" She nudges her friend on the shoulder.

Megan blushes deeper as she reaches into a box. Placing her one and only stuffed animal, a frog, on her bed, she smiles. "Maybe…"

Spencer and Tori squeal, jumping on Megan's bed. Megan giggles. "Well, I met a guy. His name is Aiden. He's pretty cute. He walked me to a class when I was lost, and after school we got coffee. I got a job at his mom's shop. He walked me home."

"Aww!" Spencer gushes. Tori is dramatically placing her hand on her forehead, leaning on Spencer.

"Guys, calm down. We're just friends. We only just met this week."

Tori makes a face. "So? You can still dream! How are you going to decide which one of us is your maid of honor?" She turns to Spencer. "I'll fight you."

Megan laughs, grabbing her piggy bank and placing it on her shelf. "You guys can play Rock, Paper, and Scissors for it."

Tori and Spencer turn to each other, hands ready. Tori wins two out of three, and the girls collapse in giggles. "We could take turns. Tori will be mine, I can be yours, and you can be Tori's." Spencer suggests, getting back to hanging up clothes. "Can I borrow this?" She gestures to a red dress that Megan has never worn.

"If you borrow it, Meg will never get it back." Tori states. Her dark brown hair falls into her eyes as she bends over to grab another item out of the box they were working on. Megan just watches her friends. She didn't even ask them to help her unpack. It was her mess. But they did it regardless, having memorized Megan's room in Littleton. This room was set up practically the same way. Megan was planning on using her first paycheck to buy a few items from the shop to help fill the empty space.

"I've missed you guys." She says, more to herself than to the girls. This move was harder than she thought it would be. She didn't feel at home yet. She'd made a few friends, like Aiden, but there was nothing that could replace the true friendship she had with Tori and Spencer.

Megan's mom calls up the stairs, her voice carrying through the open door. "Girls! Pizza's here!"

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><p>Megan works in the back room Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays. Aiden hangs out with her sometimes and they do homework. Megan really <em>is <em>good at math, like she first claimed to Melinda. When Aiden gets stumped, she's able to walk him through the problem, and she even gives him another example to do on his own. In return, Aiden runs through important history concepts with her. Melinda works with the customers, mostly. Occasionally, when she runs off to get coffee (which she does more than a healthy person should, in Megan's opinion) she will ask Megan to watch the front of the store. She taught Megan to work the register for this specific reason.

"Ugh!" Megan groans in frustration, throwing down her pencil. It's a Wednesday in the beginning of October, and midterms are coming up.

"What are you working on?" Aiden asks, glancing over to her textbook.

"Stupid history. I don't know why it's important what party Andrew Jackson belonged to in the 1600's."

Aiden snorts. Megan glares at him. "What?" She snaps.

"Andrew Jackson wasn't even born until the 1700s, and he was a Democrat."

"How do you remember everything?"

He shrugs. "I just try and relate it to today's society. For example, Andrew Jackson was a Democrat. And he's on the twenty dollar bill. I just figure that if he hadn't started a reign of Democratic majority in the cabinet, which led to America's strong stand on capitalism, someone else's face would be on the twenty dollar bill."

Megan nods, furiously scribbling everything he's saying down. "And you just do that for every topic you need to?"

"Yeah. Sometimes you have to do extra thinking, and that's when it's really good because the connection is really deep." He wiggles his eyebrows, and Megan laughs. Her phone dings, and she checks it. She notices her face lights up, and then falls, all in a matter of ten seconds. "Is something wrong?"

She shakes her head, putting her phone back down. "My best friend Tori got a date to the homecoming dance. It was this boy she was telling me about last time she came over. She told me that she and Spencer, my other best friend, are going into the city this weekend to buy dresses."

"Do you want to go? I'm sure Mom wouldn't mind giving you the day off." Aiden suggests.

"No, it's not that. It's just, if I was there she would have texted me an SOS, and we would have asked to use the bathroom and met there and she would have told us, and we would have squealed and jumped around. I just miss them. The little things." She places a hand to her head. "Instant headache." She complains. Aiden gives the ghosts behind her a glare. He and his mother have been trying to cross them over, but for every one they crossed over it seemed that another five would appear within the week.

"Do you get them often?"

"Sometimes, yeah. I thought it was allergies, and then pollution from the city, but they haven't stopped since I moved here. If anything, they're getting worse. Maybe I should ask mom to change our detergent again."

Melinda comes up from the basement. "I was going to run and get some coffee. Do you guys want anything?" She eyes the ghosts as well, and Aiden sees her motion for them to follow her.

"Hot chocolate would be lovely." Megan mentions, and Aiden nods vigorously. The ghosts follow Melinda out, and Megan goes back to her work.

On the way home that night, Aiden explains what Megan told him earlier to his mom. "I just think she could really use an afternoon with her friends. Plus, with any luck we can get the ghosts to stay behind and help cross a few over. She's getting headaches from them. I am, too."

Melinda nods, pulling into the driveway. "That's a great idea, Aiden."

Aiden tells Megan the news the next day at school during lunch.

"Really?" Her eyes light up.

He nods, grinning. "You could even spend the night or whatever."

Megan squeals, giving Aiden a side hug. He is caught off guard. "You're the best! I can't wait to tell Tori and Spence! You have to meet them. They're amazing."

The rest of the week, Megan is so positive that she doesn't mention any more headaches. Aiden and his mother figure out over the weekend that because Megan has so much positive energy, the ghosts flock to her. They can feed off her as much as they need to, and at most Megan gets a little headache. Her headaches worsened when she moved to Grandview because of the Underground. Working in an antique shop connected to said Underground probably didn't help, either.

It is a sort of positive feedback loop. Because she had so much energy, the ghost flocked to her, and used her energy. She has to create more energy to keep herself in a positive state, but the increase of energy just causes more ghosts to be drawn to her. That weekend, they crossed a majority of the ghosts over, but there were still a few that clung to her side.

There was one very angry, very loud ghost that started appearing in late November. It kept screaming in Megan's ear, and she'd closed her eyes, placing a hand on her head. "Headache," she'd said softly, smiling. He had to pretend to use the bathroom so he could figure out what it wanted.

It is this same ghost that has the two sitting on the chilly floor of the archives on a Thursday, in early December. Aiden told Megan he was doing research for a social behavioral paper for psychology, and although it seemed like she didn't believe him at first, she followed him and kept her mouth shut.

The ghost is shouting at Megan that the folder name she needs is Foxtrot 72194. Over and over. Foxtrot 72194. Foxtrot 72194. Foxtrot 72194.

"Stop." Aiden says, frustrated. He can't concentrate with the ghost repeating everything like that.

Megan looks up, holding an open folder in her hand. "What am I doing?"

Aiden sighs. He promised his mother early on that he wouldn't tell Megan about his gift until he had a good reason to, but he was getting at least three migraines a week from this guy, George, and he and Megan were both miserable. He couldn't watch them use her anymore. "If I tell you something, will you promise to keep an open mind?"

Megan nods. Aiden stands, and he reaches down to pull Megan up. She looks at him, concern written all across her face.

"I have a special gift. I've had it for as long as I can remember. I can see, and communicate with spirits. I can see ghosts. I help them finish their business here on earth, so they can move into the light. I'd like to think that it's Heaven, but I've never seen it."

Megan's eyes only get slightly wider. She studies his face for what feels like hours. It gives him butterflies to be locked in stare with her, but he needs to know that she believes him. The ghost is still screaming into her ear, but he blocks him out.

"Okay."

Aiden cracks a smile, hardly trusting his ears. "You believe me?"

Megan smiles back. "Of course. You've never lied to me. I trust you. You're my best friend here. Plus, I've always believed there are things I can't see around me."

He chuckles. "Funny choice of words." When she scrunches her eyebrows, he continues. "Ever since we met, there have been ghosts around you. At first, there were around twenty. Constantly. I figured out that they feed on your positivity. All the headaches you've been getting were from ghosts screaming at you. None of them are personal ghosts, or ghosts that you know. I've checked. They're just random ghosts. So I've been helping them, helping you to get rid of your headaches. There's one here now."

Megan's eyes grow wide at this, and she looks around. "What does it need help with?"

Aiden's heart melts when she says this. Her first question wasn't, "is it dangerous," or "is it going to hurt me," or even, "where is it". She wants to help. His heart flutters. That's when he knows. He really _does _like this girl. His mother knew even before he did. The thought hit him head on.

He's staring at her, still. She waves a hand in front of his face. "Earth to Aiden."

"He wants us to look in folder Foxtrot 72194. There's a clue in there that will let us help him. Me, I mean. Let me help him."

Megan places a hand on his arm, and his breath catches. "Us. We're going to help him together."

They begin searching for the file, and after a while Megan shrieks. "I found it! It's an old accident report. For a guy named George Oliver."

Aiden takes the folder, and looks it over. He smiles down at her. "This is him. You found it!" He grabs Megan and pulls her into a hug, spinning in circles. Megan's giggles make his knees go weak. He sets her down. "You're amazing."

She looks up at him. His breath catches at how close they are. He leans down, but right before their lips are about to meet, the loudspeaker whirls to life. "The archives will be closing in five minutes. Please return files to their original places. Thank you."

Aiden sighs. Megan blushes. Aiden coughs, pulling away. "We'd better start putting things away. We can take this file back to my house for dinner, though?" Aiden has never asked her over for dinner before. She's been to his house before, but only to study. She's hardly ever seen his father for more than five minutes when he's come into the shop. They've never had time for a formal conversation.

"I'd like that."

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><p><strong>The inspiration for this chapter is the song All About You by Birdy. I didn't get a chance to show much of Megan's emotions behind Aiden's confession in this chapter, and this song explains everything that she wanted to say. <strong>

**God Bless.**


	3. Chapter 3

**Hey guys! This chapter picks up right where the last chapter left off. The song for this chapter is Unsteady by X Ambassadors. I recently discovered this song, and I love it. Not only are the vocals amazing, but it tells an amazing story. **

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><p>Aiden pushes his front door open, and allows Megan to go in first. The winter wind follows them in. There is snow in the forecast. "Mom, Dad. I'm home!"<p>

"In the kitchen!" Melinda calls.

Melinda and Jim are standing, cooking dinner. Melinda looks up from chopping chicken. "Megan! What a lovely surprise! Finally staying for dinner?" After Megan's nod, Melinda smiles. "You remember my husband, Sam."

Aiden forgets sometimes that the person he sees as his dad isn't what the rest of the world sees. To Megan, his father will be Sam Lucas, until he can approach the subject of step-ins, and that his father is actually Jim Clancy in Sam Lucas' body. That's a conversation for another day.

Jim smiles and shakes Megan's hand. "It's nice to finally get a chance to talk to you for more than five minutes at a time. I've heard lots of great things about you."

"Likewise." Megan blushes. Aiden scratches the back of his neck nervously.

Melinda pours Megan a glass of water. "You can come over for dinner any time you'd like. You don't need an invitation from Aiden, either. Whenever you want to hang out away from the shop or your house, our door is always open."

Megan nods. She starts to take off her coat, and Aiden fumbles to help her. They are both blushing, and Melinda suspects something else happened. They've been unintentionally flirting for months. She will leave it be, for now. Maybe Aiden told her he liked her. Hopefully.

Dinner is mostly small talk, until Aiden speaks up. "Mom, we found the folder on George Oliver today!"

Melinda almost chokes. "You what?"

"I know you told me not to tell her unless she was in danger, but we both kept getting headaches and George wouldn't stop yelling and I couldn't concentrate."

"What exactly did Aiden tell you?"

Megan swallows her food, a little nervous that she may have done something wrong. "He told me that he can see and talk to ghosts. That he helps them finish business with this world so they can move onto the afterlife. The light."

Melinda smiles. "Well, the fact that you're here for dinner tells me you believed him. Not many people do. That's why we keep it a secret."

"Of course I believe him. It probably makes the most sense out of anything I've learned this year in school." A laugh echoes throughout the room.

"Yeah, Calculus is not a fun subject." Aiden chimes.

"Plus, I just now realized that my headaches have become few and far between lately."

Jim offers to drive Megan home after dinner, and Aiden is going to ride with them. However, when Jim opens the door they are all met by an icy blast of air, and lots of snow. Apparently, during the short time that dinner was taking place, three inches of snow had accumulated on the ground. There were icicles hanging off the trees. "The roads are probably impossible. It looks like an icy mess out there. Megan, you're going to have to stay here tonight. I think your parents would appreciate knowing you're safe in a warm house. I'll call them. There is no way you all are having school tomorrow."

The door is shut.

Melinda offers Megan a shower and some old clothes to sleep in. Megan's shower at home is like this one, so she doesn't have to fiddle with it too much. In the shower, she thinks about what Aiden told her earlier today. _Aiden_ could see ghosts. Aiden could see _ghosts. _Aiden could _see _ghosts. And talk to them. She always sort of knew something was different with him, but she figured she was just getting a strange vibe from him because they'd had a few flirtatious moment. But after he'd told her about his ability, she was finally able to distinguish between the butterflies in her stomach and the uneasy feeling she would get whenever he would be staring off into nothing or asking about her headaches. It all made sense now.

Not that knowing Aiden's secret made any bit of difference in the way she felt about him. He was still the nicest person she'd met in Grandview—apart from his parents. If anything, it made her appreciate him even more for helping the ghosts. And not only did it help the ghosts, but Megan couldn't honestly remember the last time she had a headache. It was actually a thrilling thought. Maybe she could start wearing perfume and using scented shampoo again. Boys like that stuff, right? Does Aiden like it when girls use apple shampoo?

After he'd almost kissed her today, something clicked inside Megan. Sure, he'd always been a good friend. But having him hold her in his arms today made her legs go weak. She liked him. He was most definitely cute, as she'd told Tori and Spencer only a few days after meeting him. But as she got to know him, she realized everything about him was attractive—his smile, his attitude, his kindness, and the way he would help her with history, the way he would hold the door open for her without even thinking about it. The way he'd walk on the outside of the sidewalk, almost as if to protect her.

Megan is rinsing off, when she sees a drop of blood land on her hand. She assumes she's getting a bloody nose, so she ignores it, planning to wait until she's sud-free to take care of it. Until she looks down at her feet to discover she's standing in a pool of blood. The water has turned to blood. It is warm and sticky and smells of rust. She screams.

She is freaking out. The rusty substance is overwhelming her senses—there is blood everywhere. She hears a knock on the door. "Sweetie, what's wrong?" Melinda's voice calls.

Megan is crying now. She's covered in blood; it drips from her hair and fills her eyes. She can't see to find the faucet. She grabs a towel and tries to get out of the tub, but slips and falls onto the floor outside the tub, ripping the shower curtain halfway down with her. She keeps crying, harder now because she just twisted her ankle in the curtain.

"I'm coming in!" Melinda busts open the door, and is in time to see the blood turn back to water. Megan is still covered in it, though, and there is a mess of it around where she fell. Melinda slams the faucet off. "Oh, sweetie."

"Melinda, it just turned to blood. I don't know what happened!" Megan gasps through her tears. Melinda covers her with towels, and Aiden runs up to the door to find out what was going on. When he sees Megan in a towel, he turns red and shuts his eyes.

"Aiden, go get your Dad. I think Megan twisted her ankle."

Melinda helps Megan up onto the toilet and grabs a robe for her to warm up with. Jim comes in, and takes a look at Megan's ankle. "It's definitely twisted. Maybe a sprain. When you get cleaned up we can take a better look at it."

Jim shuts the door behind him, and Melinda holds a still crying Megan. "It's okay, baby. You're safe now."

Megan sniffles, trying to calm down. "I'm sorry I got blood everywhere."

George appears in the corner of the bathroom, and gives Megan a malicious look. "Oh, sweetie, it's not your fault. Don't worry about it."

Melinda grabs a wash cloth from the cabinet and turns on the faucet in the sink. Thankfully, it runs clear, so she is able to clean up Megan. She helps the girl get dressed, because she can't stand on her foot. Her left ankle is already slightly swollen.

They make their way downstairs, and Megan sits down on the couch, placing her ankle on the table. Jim grabs some ice and an ankle wrap. "It looks like a light sprain. It will be okay. Just got to stay off of it for a week or two. I think I have an old pair of crutches in the upstairs closet. It might be a good idea to go to your family doctor, though, if it looks any worse in the next few days. I know I'm a doctor, but hairline fractures are almost impossible to see without x-rays."

Megan is still lightly crying, thoroughly shaken up from the whole experience. She's physically shaking too, as if chilled to the bone. Aiden comes up to her and offers her a blanket. She smiles, and nods.

He sits down next to her and covers her in the blanket. He slips an arm around her, hesitantly, and pulls her close to him. She places her head in the crook of his neck. "Was it a ghost?"

Aiden looks to his mother. He hadn't seen one in the short time he had seen the bathroom. Melinda nods curtly, trying to busy herself with wiping the kitchen counter. Aiden clears his throat. "Yeah. Sometimes they can alter the state of reality. Usually, though, people don't get hurt. I don't think George meant to hurt you, though, especially because you can't see him. He just uses your energy, and when you're active or spooked, you put off more adrenaline, I think. The more energy you have, the more energy George has."

Megan nods, her tears finally drying. "I feel so disgusting. I probably need another shower, but I'm scarred for life now." There is a tone of humor in her words, so Aiden knows she's not too shaken.

"How's your ankle?"

Megan looks down at it. "I'll live."

Aiden laughs. "I'd hope so." They sit in silence for a minute, when a thought comes to Aiden. He blushes. "Sorry I saw you in a towel."

Megan blushes slightly, too, but shrugs. "No harm, no foul?" She extends her hand, and he takes it .They shake, locked in a playful stare. He doesn't let go of her hand. They sit there, holding hands for a while. They talk about random things, like if school is cancelled tomorrow if they will still have the calculus test on Monday or if it will be pushed back to Tuesday. Melinda pokes her head in on her way upstairs. "Aiden, let her stretch out. It's nearly 11." He starts to hesitate, but Megan is in the middle of a large yawn, and he realizes the pain medicine she took is probably going to put her to sleep pretty soon anyway.

Aiden stands, and Megan gets situated on the couch. They say their goodnights, but Aiden doesn't go to sleep for at least another hour. He's determined to get George to cross over this weekend. He's not really used to having violent ghosts, but this one is dangerous. It's hurting Megan, both physically and mentally. Enough was enough.

* * *

><p>The next day, even though Jim still had to tough the horrible roads and go to work, the kids were off, like predicted. Melinda didn't go in, either. No one who didn't have to be out in this weather wasn't going to be. Another two inches had fallen overnight.<p>

Megan was awake when Aiden came downstairs. He watched from the stairwell as Melinda tended to Megan's ankle. She got fresh ice and some pain medicine for her ankle, and even poured Megan a cup of coffee.

"Morning." Aiden says.

Megan turns to watch him come take a seat next to her. "Good morning," she says with a sleepy smile.

"How'd you sleep?" Megan's hair is an absolute mess, but it's almost cute. She looks refreshed. Better than the last time he saw her awake, teary-eyed and in pain.

Megan smiles. "Great, actually. The pain medicine knocked me out pretty good. This couch is almost as comfortable as my bed."

He laughs. "Well, if you say so, I'll take your word for it. Listen, about last night, I'm so sorry. I never meant for you to get hurt. If I hadn't told you what I could do—"

"Then it probably still would have happened and I would have been freaked out not knowing what was going on. I'm glad I know. Don't apologize." Megan interjects. She takes a sip of her coffee, as if to end that particular discussion.

"Well, it's great that you say that, because I was thinking today we could do some research on that folder we pulled from the archives. Maybe help get old George some closure." Said ghost is standing off in the corner, and Aiden ignores him, focusing on Megan.

Melinda comes in. "That's a great idea, Aiden. We probably won't be able to go visit George's family today with the roads like this, but maybe we can do something else for him. Sound good, George?" Melinda looks over to George, and Megan's eyes go wide.

"You can see them, too?" The blonde asks, incredulous.

Melinda realizes her mistake. She felt so comfortable around the young girl that she assumed she already knew. Most people that knew about Aiden's gift knew about hers first, anyway. She doesn't want to lie. "Yes. Aiden inherited it from me, actually. He's a seventh generation."

Megan glances to the corner. "Can your dad…?"

"No. But, there's something I've been meaning to tell you about my dad."

Melinda cuts in. "Aiden, she's had a hard night. Maybe now's not the best time."

"No, please tell me. I feel so out of the loop around your family. I'd like to know everything I possibly can. George can wait an hour or two, right?"

"Are you sure? We know quite a lot." Aiden jokes. After Megan assures them that she's ready, Melinda and Aiden launch into their story.

They tell her of the underground, and the evil spirits that live in it. After that, they tell her of Melinda's friends, Rick, the original occult specialist, Ned, who followed in Rick's footprints, and Eli, who can hear spirits because of a near-death experience. They finally approach the subject of step-ins. Melinda tells the story of Jim's death, and the weeks that followed. Megan is nearly crying by the time Melinda reaches the point in the story where Jim comes back to her, and they realize they are pregnant with Aiden. "I've been calling him Sam all this time. He must hate me."

Melinda shakes her head. "No, he'll understand. Most people call him Sam. But he really is Jim, and if you call him that, he'll know that you know, no explanation needed."

The three pause to get breakfast, even though it's nearly 11 AM, and Aiden brings Megan her plate when it's finished cooking. After their impromptu brunch, Aiden grabs his laptop, Melinda hers, and they settle in to do some digging on George Oliver.

Melinda finds out from the accident report that there was another car involved. "There's a name in here. Austin Kingsley. Will you look that up, Aiden? I'm going to find the police officer that wrote this report."

Megan leans in to see Aiden's work. He types the name in the search bar, and a few articles pop up. Megan points to the screen. "Click on that one."

"Drunk Driver Leaves Accident without Injury" Megan reads aloud. Aiden's heart sinks. No wonder George was so angry. George had a family. He was coming back from getting dinner for them, and a drunk driver hit him out of nowhere. The drunk driver was Kingsley. Things were starting to make sense.

George pops up in front of Aiden, spooking both him and Melinda. "I need to see Austin. I need to stop him."

"Stop him from what?" Aiden says. Megan had no idea what was going on, but she was able to fit the pieces together, and took the laptop from Aiden, continuing to read the article.

"From hurting more people. He's in bad shape."

"So you don't want to hurt him? You're not mad at him?" Melinda asks.

George shakes his head. "No. I've forgiven him. My family wasn't injured, and that's what important. He's drinking again. He needs help, or this will happen to more people."

Megan looks up to see Aiden and Melinda staring at a spot in the middle of the room. She doesn't know what to do, so she sends a polite smile in that direction.

George looks grave. "Tell her I didn't mean for her to get hurt. She's really the only way I have to get energy."

Aiden flicks his eyes to Megan. "You can use our energy. It doesn't have to be her."

Megan's eyebrows raise, but she doesn't ask questions. This is Aiden's area of expertise, and it's rude of her to butt in. He'll explain everything later.

"She's just so convenient. I figure if I take it from her, she won't notice that it's missing."

Melinda interjects. "Well, why don't we just get help for Austin so that you can cross over?"

George nods, and fades away. Aiden blows a hot breath, sitting back.

Megan looks to him. "Austin Kingsley lives in Rockport. I have his address and phone number."

"Have I ever told you that you're amazing?" Aiden asks, taking the laptop to see her detective work firsthand.

"Yes, but it's still nice to hear."

* * *

><p><strong>Here lies chapter three of The Positive Feedback Loop. I'm not sure when I'll have chapter four up, because I'm going back to school this week. Thank you to the few of you who have favorited and followed this story. Please, leave a review! Tell me what you like or don't like or would like to see. I have a rough outline, but I might be able to work it in. I'm writing this for me, but I'm publishing it for you, and I want you guys to be happy, as well. Thank you!<strong>


	4. Chapter 4

**Hey guys! This is the fourth chapter of The Positive Feedback Loop! The song for this chapter is Can't Help Falling in Love. It's a classic song and really any version you listen to is good, but while writing this chapter I listened to Ingrid Michaelson's version. This chapter picks up right where the last one left off. Without further ado, enjoy!**

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><p>Megan is able to go home Friday night when her mother comes to pick her up, and even though she is not happy about Megan's injury, she's thankful that Aiden's dad is a doctor and was able to properly care for her. She still insists on taking Megan to get an X-ray, which is why Megan can't tag along when Melinda and Aiden go to see Austin Kingsley that afternoon. Melinda left the shop in the hands of Delia.<p>

Even though Delia stayed mostly in the real estate business, whenever Melinda needed a favor she was able to come and watch the shop or whatnot. For the most part, however, Delia had her hands full. Ned and his fiancé Brittany were getting married in March, and Delia was helping them plan the entire thing. Aiden had been meaning to ask Megan if she wanted to go.

Melinda and Aiden get out of the car and are standing in front of a white farmhouse. There are children's toys in the yard, and a porch swing. Melinda decides to take the reins on this. She knocks on the door.

A middle-aged woman with graying brown hair answers the door. "Can I help you?"

Melinda smiles, and Aiden waves. "Hi, I'm Melinda Gordon, and this is my son. I hate to be so forward, but do you mind if we come in?"

The woman studies the two for a minute, but opens the door wider regardless. The house is decorated simply, and there are definitely children that live here. Aiden can hear them screaming at each other upstairs. "My name is Cindy Kingsley. Please, excuse the mess. My husband's been out of town."

"That's actually why we came to talk to you."

The woman's eyes go wide as they settle into the living room. "Is he okay? Did something happen to him?"

"Oh, no, I'm sorry. I was referencing the accident he was involved in a few years ago."

Cindy's eyes go wide. "We don't like to talk about that."

Aiden speaks up. "I know it's probably hard, but we think your husband might be drinking again."

Cindy snorted. "That's old news."

"Wait, you know he's drinking again?"

"I've been married to him for 6 years. I know the difference between having a drink or two at dinner and him not coming home for three days straight because he's plastered."

Aiden and his mother then continue to explain the situation to Cindy. She goes wide-eyed at the mention of the ghosts, but she wanted to help George just like they did. She was just promising to call when Austin showed up when tires were heard in the driveway. "He's home." She looks panicked.

Aiden stands, ready to take action. "Is he dangerous?"

Cindy shakes her head, but the sound of the front door opening makes her jump.

"Who in the hell does that car belong to?"

Aiden can practically smell the alcohol seeping through Austin's skin. His eyes are bloodshot, and his clothes are disheveled.

Austin takes in the scene. "Who are you?"

Cindy cuts in. "Austin, this is Melinda. She's worried that you might be drinking again. She's worried that you might cause another accident. She says George's ghost is here, and he's trying to protect you."

Aiden can see the wheels spinning deep in the mind of Austin. "Ghosts aren't real, Cindy. She's a kook."

Cindy looks helplessly at Melinda. George appears in the room, next to Austin. "Tell him about the angel pendant hanging from his rearview mirror."

"George is here, right now. He wants me to ask you about the angel pendant. Says it hangs from your rearview mirror." Melinda studies Austin's face as she speaks, gauging his reaction. Aiden watches Austin's fist clench and unclench several times in the course of a minute. "Does that mean something to you?"

"Daddy?" Heads whip around to see two little faces poking around a corner. One of them is a girl, who looks to be about 4. The other is a small boy who couldn't be any older than 2.

"The angel pendant. My daughter made it for me in preschool. I stare at it every day."

* * *

><p>"So he promised to get help because of his kids?" Megan is laying on her bed, talking to Aiden on the phone. Her mother refused to let her out of the house after she got back from the doctor, mostly because he said her leg needed rest. It was just a sprain, like Jim suggested, but it hurt regardless. The doctor simply prescribed her some pain medicine and sent her on her way.<p>

"Yeah. He realized that if he continued drinking, he could leave his kids without a father like George, and he promised to get help. When we left he and his wife were talking about rehab facilities."

"I'm glad it all worked out," she says, mindlessly playing with her hair as she speaks into the receiver.

"They won't all work like that. Trust me." On the other end of the phone, Aiden is sitting at his desk, tossing a ball into the air and catching it over and over again.

"Oh, great. What's next? Vampires?"

"Mom told me one time she thought she was dealing with a vampire, but it turned out to be a really gothic ghost."

"How'd she figure that one out?"

"Her friend, Rick. Remember how I told you he was an occult specialist? That's apparently Grandview's number one line of work. Delia's son Ned is an occult specialist too. Speaking of Ned, remember how I told you that he was getting married?"

Megan takes a swig of her bottled water. "Yeah. March, right? To… Brittany."

Aiden smiles to himself. This girl's memory is amazing. "Yes. Would you like to go?"

Megan blushes, and is thankful that Aiden can't see her. "Is this a date?"

Now is Aiden's turn to blush. "Well, kind of. I mean, it's just so awkward going to weddings alone. Plus, my parents will be all over each other and I would like something to distract from the disgustingness of that."

Megan is biting back her laugh. "Well, in that case, of course. I would hate for you to have to suffer through watching your parents make out."

Aiden shudders. "Gross." The two laugh.

* * *

><p>A few weeks later, it's a Friday, the last Friday before Christmas. Melinda comes in and sees Aiden and Megan staring at each other, sitting a little closer than they usually do. Megan is blushing. She does that a lot whenever she's around Aiden.<p>

"Megan! Great, you're still here! Listen, I have a question to ask you."

Megan jumps at Melinda's voice, unaware anyone had come in. "Okay."

"Jim and I have tickets for the ballet tomorrow in the city. We were going to go with a friend of ours, but they backed out last minute. Would you be interested in coming? Consider it a holiday bonus! We've done so well already this holiday season that we can close early tomorrow."

Megan looks shocked. "I would love to. Are you serious?"

Melinda laughs and nods.

Megan smiles. She looks at Aiden. "Are you going?" After he nods, she hides a small smile. They haven't kissed, haven't even come close since that day in the archives. Hopefully, with Megan all dolled up, Aiden might get the courage again.

"I'm planning to close the shop around 2. We can pick you up around 5."

The following afternoon, Megan rushes into the house after work. "Mom, I'm home. Going to get ready!" She calls to her mother, who is somewhere doing something in the house. Megan takes the stairs two at a time. She has so much to do. She needs to curl her hair and do her makeup and shave her legs and paint her fingernails and brush her teeth.

Thankfully, after work yesterday, she was able to lay out her clothes. She was finally getting an opportunity to wear her new red dress, the one Spencer wanted to borrow. It was perfect for the ballet, and since it was so close to Christmas, it was festive, as well.

As she showered, she thought about what would happen tonight. Aiden and she had gotten so much closer over the past few months. He tried to kiss her, the night she twisted her ankle. She had wanted him to, something she didn't realize until after the moment had passed, and they hadn't. She had been hesitant to admit it, but she was falling for Aiden, and hard.

Maybe, she thought as she blow-dried her hair, that if she looked pretty enough then he would get the courage to kiss her tonight. She could always make the first move, of course, and she would, if he didn't do anything by the end of the night.

Megan's bedroom door opened and her mother poked her head in. Lacey sees her daughter applying makeup. "So you're going out with Aiden and his parents, right?"

Megan nods. "Yep. We're going to the city for the ballet, and then to dinner. I think we'll be home before midnight, but if not I'll text you."

Lacey smiles at her daughter. "You have grown into such a beautiful young lady. I'm so proud to be your mother."

Megan blushes. "Thanks, mom."

* * *

><p>Aiden is nervous. Beyond nervous. He's in dress pants and a button down, and a wool coat. He combed his hair. He brushed his teeth twice. Just for a double date with his parents. He had refused to call it a date, until now.<p>

They pull up to Megan's house, and Melinda tells him to go up to the door.

Aiden wipes his hands on his pants and knocks. Megan answers the door. His mouth falls open. She's wearing a beautiful red dress, and her hair is curled and she's got red lipstick and her eyes are sparkling and she's smiling at him. At him.

"You look pretty." He spits out.

She blushes. "Thank you. I just need my coat."

"Let me help you." Aiden steps inside and helps her put on her coat.

Melinda and Jim smile at them from the car.

Megan calls a goodbye to her parents, and shuts the door. Aiden offers her his arm, and she takes it. He even opens the car door for her.

During the ballet, Aiden wants to try and hold her hand, but she looks so enthralled that he doesn't want to divide her attention. He watches more of her than he does the ballet.

Finally, when they are walking back to the car, Aiden bites the bullet and takes her hand in his. She looks up at him, a blush on her face, smiling.

On the way home, after dinner, there is a wreck that leaves the freeway at a standstill. The song Can't Help Falling in Love with You comes on the radio, and Megan smiles. "I love this song!"

Snow begins to fall outside, and some parents and children abandon their car to play in the snow. Megan leans closer to the window to watch the kids play. Aiden leans over her shoulder to get a better look.

Megan looks back behind her. Aiden's face is close enough to be kissing her. Wait—their lips are touching. Aiden pulls back quickly. Megan blushes profusely.

"Sorry." Aiden mumbles, settling back on his side of the seat.

"Don't worry about it." She keeps staring out the window, trying to hide both her smile and her blush in the reflection of the snow outside. She wishes he hadn't pulled away. Her ideal first kiss with Aiden didn't happen in the backseat of his parents' car. Ideally, nothing she would ever do with Aiden would happen in the backseat of any car.

Megan blushes even harder for thinking about anything like that. He'd barely kissed her, and now she was thinking of—no. "Could you turn up the radio, please?" She says. Hopefully the music will drown out her thoughts.

Aiden is kicking himself the entire rest of the ride home. He had kissed Megan, but the not the way he'd imagined. That was an accident—a happy accident, but an accident nonetheless. He hadn't even given her an opportunity to kiss him back. Perhaps that's why he'd pulled away. Because he didn't want to know if she _would _kiss him back.

The backseat rides in awkward silence the entire ride home. When they finally drop Megan off at her house around 12:30, Aiden walks Megan to the door.

They are standing awkwardly, when Aiden remembers his Christmas present for Megan. He reaches into dress shirt pocket. "What's that?" She asks, trying to peek inside.

Aiden smiles. "Merry Christmas, Megan."

She takes the box, and opens it. Her eyes light up. It's a necklace, the same one that she's been eyeing every day in the shop. She never bought it, probably figuring that it would look better on someone else. Truthfully, it was made for her.

"You got this for me?" She asks, running her fingers softly over the gold and diamonds.

"Yes."

"I didn't get you anything." She says, looking up at him.

He takes it out of the box and reaches around her, hands shaking, to clasp it around her neck. "I don't care about that. I just wanted you to have this."

She looks up at him from under her lashes. She slowly wraps her arms around his waist, hesitantly. "Thank you. It's beautiful."

The way Aiden sees it, he has two options. He can own up to his actions in the car and actually try and make a move on this beautiful girl hugging him, or he can shy away and act as if they are meant to be nothing more than friends. Taking a breath, he decides instantly. Aiden whispers in her ear, wrapping his arms around her. "I think you're beautiful."

Megan stayed wrapped in his arms until she was sure that her blush had subsided enough to not be seen through the night. She guessed that Aiden was finally deciding to make move. She hadn't had to initiate after all. "I should go inside."

"Goodnight." He leans down, somewhat unsure at first, kissing her cheek. "I'll call you?"

Megan nods, pushing her front door open. "I'll answer."

Aiden shoves his hands in his pockets and walks back to the car. His parents don't say anything when they get in, but they don't have to. It was obvious that something had changed tonight.

* * *

><p><strong>Fun fact! This was one of the first pieces I wrote for this story. That being said, I've rewritten it about 20 times. I hope you guys like it. Fun life update: I'm getting an apartment! With my best friend! I'm so excited.<strong>


	5. Chapter 5

**Hey guys! Here is the 5th chapter. So I'm just going to go ahead and apologize in advanced for the shortness of this chapter. It wasn't really something I wanted to write, but it needed to happen to advance the story. There's a long playlist for this chapter, though, so if you like that you'll be happy. 1. Tenerife Sea by Ed Sheeran. If you only listen to one, let it be this one. You won't regret it. 2. Wherever You Will Go by Charlene Soraia 3. Smash Into You by Beyoncé (Long live Queen B) 4. 18 by One Direction.**

* * *

><p>It's an unusually warm Saturday in March, and tonight is Ned's wedding. Even though Ned was 33, and Aiden considered him an old maid of sorts, Brittany, his soon to be wife was only 28. Not that it mattered. Everyone could see how in love they were, including Megan. She'd only met Brittany once or twice, but seeing her and Ned together made one thing clear- that was true love.<p>

The ceremony is inside, but the reception is outside. Megan thought it was very pretty, but Ned couldn't care less. He wasn't really paying much attention. Megan was the prettiest person here, but he wouldn't dare say that to Ned or Brittany. She was wearing this light pink dress, and she curled her hair. And she was pretty. But, then again, she was always pretty.

Ever since the ballet, things had been awkward, to say the least. He hadn't specifically asked her to be his girlfriend, but he'd gotten her flowers for Valentine's Day and she's been over to watch movies a few times. He honestly didn't know what they were, but he hoped it was something serious.

They eat, and cut the cake, and they do the toasts, and then the floor is open for dancing after the traditional first dances.

Aiden wipes his palms on his knees. Standing, he turned to Megan. "Would you like to dance?"

Megan blushes, but takes his hand. There are only a few couples on the dance floor, and most of them are older. It's not a song to slow-dance to, but that's what they do.

Aiden's hand rests on Megan's waist, and he holds her other one. "Are you having a good time?" He asks her as they sway, not really to the beat of the music. It's too fast. They make their own beat instead.

She nods, looking around. "I love weddings. I've had mine planned since I was twelve."

Aiden gives her an interesting look. "Twelve, really?" The words might have been more biting, but the way he sounded intrigued softened the blow.

She nods, laughing. "I mean, not the groom. That part's in flux."

He nods. "Of course. You can't marry your childhood crush. Who I'm guessing was Leonardo Dicaprio?"

Megan ducks her head, saying just loud enough for Aiden to hear her, "Ryan Reynolds."

"He was my next guess." Megan laughs. A new song starts, a slower one this time, and more couples join the dance floor.

"Are you going to the junior prom?" Aiden asks. It's next month. He wasn't planning on going, but if he knew that Megan was, it might change his mind.

She shakes her head. "My parents are out of town that weekend, so I have stay home for most of it. My friends Tori and Spencer are coming up, though. We've had this planned since Christmas." She says with a laugh.

"I still need to meet them."

"You need to meet my father, too." She says the words simply enough, but he feels the weight behind them as if it were an elephant sitting on his chest.

"Do I?"

She laughs. "Well, yes. I think it's a good idea for my father to meet my…" Megan trails off, unsure of what to call Aiden's role in her life.

"Friend?" He suggests, spinning her around.

She laughs, falling back into his arms. "I'd like to think you're more than a friend, Aiden. I don't feel this way towards my other friends." She says, blushing.

He smiles down at her. "That's good to know." Their eyes meet, and she looks away, embarrassed. He takes a breath, and stops dancing. He takes his hand and places it under Megan's chin, gently forcing it up so that she has to meet his eyes. "I'll be whatever you want me to be, Megan."

And finally, he kisses her, square on the mouth, the way that he's wanted to since that day in the archives a little over 3 months ago.

* * *

><p>That kiss is how Aiden finds himself more nervous than he's ever been, standing on Megan's front porch, preparing to meet her father as his daughter's boyfriend.<p>

Aiden's been so preoccupied over this past week that he's ushered two separate ghosts to his mother, too bothered to deal with him. If she was angry at him for it, she didn't let on.

The door opens, and Aiden gives a start. Because there is Megan's father.

"Hello, sir. I'm Aiden Lucas." He extends a shaky hand, hoping his strong posture and eye contact can mask the trembling.

"It's nice to finally meet you, Aiden. Megan's told me a lot about you. I'm David. Please, come in."

The dinner is almost flawless. Aiden accidently spilled green beans on his lap, but he laughed it off, saying they were so good that he wanted to take some home. David doesn't even give him the expected "hurt my daughter and I'll hurt you" speech. Maybe that was for a later date.


	6. Chapter 6

**Hey guys! This chapter is hodge podge. It jumps from the last chapter, to Christmas of their senior year. Please enjoy. In the next few chapters we'll be fast-forwarding a year, so bear with me!**

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><p>Aiden and Megan both get into Rockland University. Megan, of course, got accepted to several other schools, but Aiden had already decided on RU. He realized, watching Megan sort through her various acceptance letters (that had begun to roll in during the fall of their senior year) that she was putting those from out-of-state farther and farther down her list. What Aiden didn't know what that Megan wasn't going anywhere that Aiden wasn't within two hours of. Sure, Albany State University was nice, but Rockland University offered the same degree, and it was much cheaper, and, more importantly, closer to Aiden.<p>

It's Christmas of their senior year, and their unofficial one-year anniversary. They say that they've dating since Christmas, and officially going out since the day of the wedding. They are at Aiden's house for Christmas Eve, and they were long past dinner, and the awkward lingering-time between the meal and the gift exchange was coming to an end.

It was the first real holiday that they'd spent together. They had plans for Thanksgiving, but Megan ended up visiting family out of town.

"Okay, everyone, gather round." The 'everyone' that Melinda called consisted of: Ned and Brittany; Delia and her long-time boyfriend Allan; Eli and his family; Rick; and Beth.

Megan had met Eli a few times, but this was the first time she was meeting his wife and children. Eli had married when Aiden was 6. He married a pretty, short brunette named Alice, and they have 2 children. Kasey was 8, and was rambunctious as any little girl. All through dinner she kept telling Megan about her dolls, and the one she was hoping Santa was going to bring her tonight. Eli's other child, Daniel, was 5, and he was pretty quiet. He had certainly inherited Eli's love for knowledge. Throughout dinner, _he_ was telling Jim all about how he was going to be a doctor like him one day.

The guests filed into the living room. There was a large tree in front of the window, and Melinda was squatting down, gathering the various bags and boxes.

Melinda passes out the presents. Megan has a few from Aiden, and one from Melinda and Jim. "Okay. I guess we can all just open them at once." Melinda says, ushering the kids to start.

"Actually," Ned speaks up, glancing sideways at Brittany, "Mom can't open hers until everyone else is done." Delia gives her son a strange look, but everyone agrees.

Megan hesitates opening her gifts to see Aiden open his. He rips off the wrapping paper, and opens the box. Inside is a very nice leather jacket, one he'd been gushing about buying for himself for at least three months. He'd told her on several occasions if he got enough Christmas money, he'd have enough to buy it. She'd even talked to Melinda to make sure that they didn't get him the same thing.

"No way." Aiden looks up at her. "Did you really get this for me?"

Megan laughs, her voice drowned out by the others chattering over their candles and sweaters and whatnot. "Actually, I got it for me, but it was too big. Yes, I got it for you! Surprise!"

"This is awesome, babe. Thank you!" Aiden leans over and gives her a sloppy kiss on the cheek. Normally, Megan would shy away from the public display of affection, but everyone else was so preoccupied that nobody seemed to notice.

"Open your other one."

This one is a small bag, and while the gift itself wasn't that expensive, Megan knew that Aiden would appreciate the gesture more than anything.

Megan watches as Aiden removes the tissue paper, and continues to study his face as he grabs the present and reads it.

"Are you kidding me?"

He's holding a keychain. It reads, "My Girlfriend goes to RU!" He looks up at Megan. She hadn't told him she'd decided on Rockland U, and this was a big surprise to him. It had been no secret that that's where he was going.

"Surprise!"

"I can't believe we're going to school together! You're amazing, Megan. I love you." The words spilled out, unexpectedly, and it surprised both of them. Even though they both knew they were in love, and they'd been hinting around saying those three words for a few months, it was the first time one of them had said it.

"You do?" Megan hadn't meant to whisper, but she didn't know if she could speak at full volume, as if saying it too loudly would cause the words to shatter.

Aiden takes her hand, nodding. "I love you."

Megan's blush deepens. "I love you, too."

They stare at each other for a while, but realizing the noise in the room is starting to die down, Aiden looks down at Megan's feet. "Your turn."

Megan quickly grabs her gift. Melinda (and Jim) gave her a gift card to the shop, which was greatly appreciated. Megan suspected that while working in the shop, the majority of the purchases had been made by her. Her room was full of ornate picture frames and trinkets.

Aiden got her a framed picture of them, which almost left Megan speechless. Apparently, on their first date last Christmas, Aiden's parents had snapped a picture of them on the porch that night, staring at each other, and it was a great picture. He also got her something that was in a rather large box. Upon opening, Megan discovered he had gotten her the boots she'd been telling him about for months—apparently, great minds think alike. They were tan leather, and she'd already planned twenty different outfits to wear with them by the time she'd fully opened the box.

After everyone opens their gifts, eyes fall on Ned and Delia. Ned nods to his mother, and she grabs the box, a little skeptical.

"Read it out loud, mom." Ned chimes, grinning from ear to ear. This must be really good.

Delia opens the box, and reads, "I love my Grand—"she stops, but she is now grinning from ear to ear, and squealing and jumping in her seat. "Are you serious?!"

Ned and Brittany laugh. "We're having a baby!" Ned announces, taking hold of his wife's hand proudly. Brittany is glowing, and Melinda and everyone else joins in the celebration.

Delia is crying by now, as is Melinda. Even Megan finds herself getting little teary-eyed. Babies are so much fun. One day, she can't wait to have two or three of her own.

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><p>Prom is more of the same. Megan gets all dressed up in a pink dress, and Aiden brings her a corsage, and they go out to dinner, and it's perfect.<p>

Prom night, Megan and Aiden choose to go to a party. It's not a conventional, average, teenage party. It's more of a game night. There's only soda, and chips, and the kids parents are there, and there's plenty of games. Megan's favorite is Sorry.

Aiden has Megan home by sunlight, as per her father's request, and it's perfect. Everything about Megan is perfect. He was so amazed that there would be a girl that could understand him so completely. She was beautiful, and smart, and passionate about her work. Every time they got a new shipment in, Megan would gush and gush about this beautiful lamp and that gorgeous necklace and those pretty dresses. Aiden wanted to buy her everything to her hearts' content, but Megan was more than happy to work hard for what she wanted. It was just another thing that he loved about her.

Aiden had a brief outline of the future. He's going to college, and Megan's going there too. She's been talking about majoring in business, so one day, if Melinda lets her, she can become a partner. Aiden's thinking about medical school. It's really up in the air right now.

The one thing that's not in the air is Megan. He knows that he wants her for as long as she'll have him. Megan is the one. He could see a life with her, and it felt more complete than anything he could see without her. He could only hope that she felt the same way.

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><p>Megan couldn't believe where her life had come in just a year and a half. She was a straight A student, had gone to prom in a beautiful dress, and was just a month away from graduating high school. She got a great academic scholarship to Rockland University. And, best of all, she got to go there with her amazing boyfriend.<p>

Aiden was everything she ever thought she wanted. He was smart, but he didn't brag, and he was caring. It melted Megan's heart whenever he got to help a ghost finish their business. The other week, they'd gone to Littleton to check up on Austin Kingsley. He was doing great, and his wife was even pregnant again. Everyone seemed so much happier. Austin loved helping ghosts, and Megan was just happy to help him do whatever he could to help them. She couldn't count how many they'd helped in the time they'd known each other.

It was crazy to think that you could find someone you wanted to be with forever at the age of 17, but Megan had. She looked at Aiden and she saw an entire life, and a future. She'd told Tori and Spencer, and they'd looked at her like she was crazy. They didn't know. Only she did. Hopefully, Aiden felt the same way that she did.

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><p><strong>There you have it! The next chapter should be up soon :) God bless!<strong>


	7. Chapter 7

**Hey guys! I'm on a roll with these chapters. Like I said before, this story takes place over the course of several years. If I feel the need to tell you time frame, it will be listed at the beginning of the chapter, like it is here. Thank you to everyone who review! I love it when notifications pop up in my inbox. You all are amazing, dedicated readers. Oh, disclaimer. Mature themes in this chapter.**

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><p><span>SUMMER BREAK, BETWEEN FRESHMEN AND SOPHOMORE YEAR<span>

"You did what?!"

Megan's sitting on Tori's bedroom floor in Littleton, a pillow in her lap. She had come up for the weekend, and it was the first time the three friends were getting a chance to catch up since the spring semester had ended.

She, Tori and Spencer are sitting in a triangular shape, a large bowl of popcorn between them. It's going on three in the morning, but the girls are nowhere near sleep.

"It was over spring break. I don't know, it just kind of happened." Tori says, blushing.

"Tor, losing your virginity isn't something that just happens. It's a big deal! I wish you'd told me sooner!" Megan was shocked. The girls really were growing up.

"What did you want me to do? Text you and say, "Hey, Meg, good luck on the rest of your semester, btw have you seen my V-Card? I lost it."?" Spencer sniggers, but stops with Megan's icy glare. "Besides, you didn't tell me when you lost yours." Tori says, taking a handful of popcorn in her hand and dropping it into her mouth.

The blonde blushes. "That's because I haven't lost it yet."

"What?" Her friends say simultaneously, Tori spewing wet pieces of popcorn from her mouth. Their eyes are wide. They really must have thought she'd had sex by now.

"But you and Aiden have been together for like, 2 years." Spencer adds, ticking off the years on her fingers for emphasis.

Megan shrugs. "We want to wait."

"For what?"

"Marriage, I think. We've never made it a rule, but I think we both think we're not ready. Maybe we'll wait until marriage. I don't know."

Tori's eyes go wide. "But what if he sucks in bed?" Megan wants to smack her friend on the arm, but Spencer beats her to it.

"I think it's sweet. So does that mean you guys have talked about getting married?"

Megan leans back, resting on the post of Tori's bed. "Yeah, a little. I mean, he doesn't have a ring or anything yet, I don't think, but we've talked about the basics."

"Like what?" Tori asks, grabbing yet another hand of popcorn and almost spilling her drink in the floor.

"Like, if we want kids and what jobs we want and where we want to live, and finances and stuff."

"How did that conversation go? Don't most guys run at any mention of the future?" Tori asks.

"Believe it or not, Tor, there are actually some decent guys out there. I found one. Plus, if you're talking with somebody you love then it doesn't feel like a big, important conversation. It just feels like talking."

Spencer blushes, and Megan gives her a look. "I think I met somebody that sounds like that."

"For real? Details, please."

"Well, his name is Tyler. He was in my lab group this past semester for Chemistry, and we had to work together on a few projects. It's nothing serious yet, Tori, so you don't have to start naming our children yet, but he's a really sweet guy."

"Wait, did you name my children?" Megan asks, giggling.

Tori gives a mischievous look. "Maybe…"

Megan scoffs. "Tell me!"

"Okay, okay. Well I picture you having two, maybe three. The first will be a girl, Sophie Grace Lucas. Then you'll have a boy, Matthew Samuel, who you'll call Matt. And a girl rounds out the trio, Jennifer Ann."

"You've put a lot of thought into this." Megan takes a drink of her soda, and makes a face. "I say I want three kids now, but that means I have to give birth three times. That's going to be painful."

"Yeah, but it's a lot of fun making them." Tori says with a wink.

Megan blushes. "Did it hurt?"

Tori shrugs, shifting as if uncomfortable. "I mean, I guess it depends. It kinda hurt me. I was sore for a day or two."

"What does it feel like?" Spencer asks. Megan gives her friend a grateful look. She knew Spencer was a virgin, too, and naturally, Tori was the person with the answers to the burning questions, but it was still embarrassing to ask.

The rest of the weekend is more of the same. They eat pizza, watch movies, and roll around on the floor in tears from laughter. Aiden texts Megan occasionally, but he knows how much she cherishes time with her friends. Spencer went to school in New Hampshire, and Tori went to the state school, about an hour from Littleton. Even though they got together whenever they could, Aiden always felt like Megan wanted more. It was amazing that they had remained so close even though they lived so far away. Just the thought of being that far away from Megan made his heart hurt.

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><p>The next Monday, Megan has to work. During the summer, Megan works every day the shop is open. For that reason, she's been trying to convince Aiden to get a summer job. He's filled out a few applications but hasn't heard anything back yet.<p>

They have the door propped open because it's a beautiful, breezy day in May. This is why Megan doesn't hear anyone come in. Suddenly, there is a bright bouquet of flowers in front of her face. She gives a start, looking up to see Aiden smiling down at her. "I got these for you. Happy birthday."

Megan blushes, coming out from behind the counter to hug Aiden. "Thank you, but you know my birthday isn't until Saturday." She looks down at the flowers. The bouquet contains various colors of daisies and roses, her favorite.

"Those are beautiful, sweetie. I'll get a vase." Melinda chimes, going into the backroom.

"I know your birthday isn't until this weekend, but I figured I would do something special every single day until your birthday."

Megan laughs. "Why?"

Aiden brings a finger to her lips. "Don't question it. Just go with it." He kisses her forehead.

The next day, Aiden brought her some of her favorite cookies for an after-lunch treat. On Wednesday, he surprises her by picking her up and taking her out to breakfast before the shop opens. Thursday, he runs, literally _runs,_ to her house to get her rain jacket, boots, and an umbrella so that she doesn't get wet walking home.

Friday, she can't think of anything else he could possibly do, which is why she's so surprised when he convinces Melinda to give her the day off. "Just swing by around close to get your paycheck."

Megan smiles, gathering her things. "Oh, that's okay. I can just get it Monday when I come in."

Melinda's eyes look panicked. "Actually, I have to go to a showing on Monday, so I need you to pick it up tonight."

Aiden gives Melinda a weird look, but Megan doesn't seem to notice. She's digging in her bag for her sunglasses. When she pulls them out, she nods to Melinda. "Okay. I'll be here before close. Thank you again for the day off." Megan was only working a half day tomorrow, because she had plans to go out to dinner with her family. It was amazing that Aiden could sweet talk his mother into this day, too.

They walked outside, and climbed into Aiden's clunker of a truck. It belonged to his father, and rumbled dangerously when it started up. Megan rolled down the window as they drove away. "So where are we going today?"

Aiden smiled. "The zoo, my dear."

Megan whipped her head to look at Aiden. "Seriously?" Aiden nodded, and Megan squealed excitedly. "I just love the zoo."

"I know."

The only zoo for miles is in Central Park, so parking is a nightmare. Aiden hates the city. If he never had to go there, he wouldn't care. The people were rude and the air was thick and polluted and the noise was impossible to ignore. However, he'd suffer every single day to see Megan's eyes light up like they were right now.

They see almost every animal twice, and Megan convinces Aiden to share cotton candy and a large polar freeze with her, even though the price is ridiculous.

They sit watching the polar bears while they munch on their snack. "Tori and Spencer said they were sending me my birthday present in the mail. I thought it might come yesterday, but it still hasn't come. I don't know why they just didn't give it to me when I was up there last weekend."

"Yeah, it doesn't make much sense. They could have saved themselves the shipping costs." Aiden adds, only trying to go along with whatever Megan wanted. Aiden, on the other hand, knew exactly why they hadn't mailed the package yet. They were planning to hand-deliver it to Megan at her surprise party tonight.

It had been Melinda's idea, and Aiden kicked himself for not thinking of it first. Melinda and Megan's mom had been planning it for weeks. Aiden's job was just to keep Megan busy and distracted for most of the week. Megan's really good at figuring out surprises and secrets, and the only way that Aiden knew how to pull her focus away was to pamper her with compliments and sweet surprises and "random" trips to the Central Park Zoo.

After they had exhausted the trails of the zoo and fed the giraffes and watched the penguins dive into water about 12 times, Megan was getting bored.

"It's going on 4. We still have a few more hours to kill before the party." Megan said nonchalantly.

"Are you kidding me? How did you find out?" He could only stare at the blonde. He was furious, but not angry. He was furious because she'd probably known all along and had only clued him in that she knew just now. He wasn't angry, because she was so cute that it was almost impossible to be angry with her.

"I overheard Mom talking to Melinda on the phone last week. And also, Melinda never goes to shows on Monday. Nobody shows on Monday." Her words were simple enough, but he could tell she'd been putting the pieces together for a week now. And when Melinda asked her to pick up her check, it was the final piece of the puzzle.

"Will you at least act surprised? It'd kill our moms if they knew you knew." Aiden started the truck.

"Of course." They were silent for a while, and he noticed she didn't say anything about Tori and Spencer coming. Maybe she didn't know. Either way, he wasn't going to say anything, just in case she _didn't_ know.

"We do still have an hour and a half. How about some frozen yogurt or something?"

Megan's eyes light up. "Can we go to that candy store I told you about a while ago? On Third Street?"

Two hours later, Megan's purse is loaded with both uneaten candy and candy wrappers as they pulled up to the dark shop. She spent close to thirty dollars on candy in that store. Aiden told her more than once that she was going to destroy her appetite for the party, but she refused to listen. Jelly beans come before cake, Aiden, always. Her words echo in his head. But he knew that in an hour or two she'd be eating cake with as much vigor as she'd eaten the jelly beans and the sour chews and the taffy.

Megan remembers she's supposed to be playing the role of unsuspecting victim as she opens the door to the truck. "Are you sure your mom's even still here? It's a little after closing. Maybe she got tired of waiting."

Megan uses her key to unlock the door and the lights are thrown on and people jump out and yell 'surprise!' and Megan actually does jump because it came out of nowhere.

"Oh my goodness, guys. Thank you!" She hugs her parents, and then Melinda, and then she sees Tori and Spencer. "Oh, my gosh! You guys are here! In Grandview!"

Aiden was right to hold his tongue. She really had no idea that her friends were coming. "Of course we're here, silly! It's a party, there's free food." Tori quipped. Megan rolled her eyes and pulled her friends into a hug. "Did Aiden call you?"

Aiden left her to talk to her friends and went to talk to his mother. "She knew, didn't she?" Melinda asks, a hint of humor in her voice.

Aiden makes himself a drink. "Of course she did. It's Megan."


	8. Chapter 8

**Hey guys! Hope everything is good for y'all right now :) The song for this chapter (SPOILER) is Stealing Cinderella by Chuck Wicks.**

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><p><span>JUNIOR YEAR<span>

Aiden has never been this nervous in his entire life. Not when he asked Megan to be his girlfriend. Not when they kissed for the first time. Not when he met her dad for the first time. Not when he asked her to prom. Never.

He knocked on the door and then stuffed his hand back into his pocket to disguise the shaking. Jamie answered the door. "Hey, Aiden. Megan's not here."

Aiden laughs, relieved David hadn't answered the door. He was here, because his car was in the driveway. "I know. I came to see your dad."

Jamie's eyes grew wide. He was in high school now, and he knew what was coming. "I'll go get him." He starts to walk away, but turns around, smiling. "Welcome to the family, bro."

If Jamie knew something that Aiden didn't, he wasn't letting on. Aiden stepped into the house and shut the door. It was a crisp October day, and Megan had a midterm, and right after that she had to run to work. She told him this morning she wouldn't get a chance to talk to him today, and he saw no better opportunity to do what he needed to.

David appeared from the back of the house. "I wondered when you'd be seeing me. Let's have a seat." Aiden follows David into the living room, not trying to think too much into his words. "How have you been, Aiden? How's school going?"

Aiden smiled. Conversation with David was always so easy. "It's going great. I've decided to get a degree in psychology and a minor in counseling. I'd like to be a grief counselor."

"That's a little morbid, don't you think?" David wasn't the first person to ask him that, so the question didn't throw him off.

"It is, but I think death is sometimes so unexpected and sudden that there's no good way to deal with it. If I can help people get through it, and make them better in the end, I'd be content." The ghosts would help a little, too.

"And do grief counselors make good money?" The words were conversational enough, but David had an ulterior motive, and Aiden knew it. David was trying to make sure that Aiden could take care of his little girl.

"Yes, sir. I've actually been offered a summer internship at the hospital where my father works. I'll be working with one of the counselors there."

"Is that a paid internship?"

"Yes, sir." David nods, and there is a lull in the conversation. Aiden knows that this is his moment, and he needs to do this before he backs down. "Sir, I was wondering if I could ask you something?"

David nods, but doesn't verbally respond. He is studying Aiden very hard, and he should find it nerve-wracking, but he doesn't, for whatever odd reason.

"As you know, Megan and I have gotten so much closer since we started school together. She's an amazing person, as I'm sure you know. You raised her to be a caring, kind, and beautiful person inside and out. I just wanted to thank you for that. Thank you for raising the girl of my dreams."

David smiles, but doesn't answer again. He takes that as a sign to continue.

"Sir, I came here today to ask you if I could have the greatest honor, of marrying your daughter. I will protect her from the evils of this world. I will care for her with every possible resource. I love her more than I love my own life. I will spend the rest of my life loving her with all that I have."

David smiles fully, baring teeth. And Aiden feels a weight fly off his shoulder that he hadn't known had existed. "I knew this day was coming, for a while now. It doesn't make it any easier."

He stands up, walking over to the mantle and gazing at pictures. Aiden knows what they are, and it makes his heart hurt. He gets up too, and walks towards the pictures of Megan as a little girl, playing princess and running through sprinkles and covered in flour and cake batter.

"She'll always be this little girl to me." David says, his voice distant.

Aiden makes a decisive move and places his hand on David's shoulder. "I'm not taking your place in her life. She will always be your little girl. I'm only asking for a chance to make memories with her the way that you have."

David places his hand on top of Aiden's, and turns around. Aiden's hand falls away. "Do you have a ring yet?"

Aiden's throat goes dry. He's going to tell him to return it. Nodding, he reaches into his jacket pocket, taking out the box and opening it for David to see.

David smiles, and Aiden isn't stupid enough to acknowledge the tears forming in the grown man's eyes. "She'll love it."

Aiden's heart soars. "Does this mean that I have your permission?"

"Not only do you have my permission, you have my blessing."

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><p><span>JUNIOR YEAR: CHRISTMAS EVE<span>

Christmas Eve at the Lucas household has become a tradition. All the usual suspects are there, but this year there were a few changes. Delia had broken it off with her long-time boyfriend Allan, and Rick had brought a "lady friend" this year. Brittany was pregnant again, as well. It was about time, if you asked Megan. Lacey was almost 2. Megan loved spending time with her, and whenever she had free time she was offering to babysit. Megan loved children. Aiden never told her, but it was obvious that she would be a great mother one day. And now, hopefully, she would be the mother of _his_ children.

Megan offers to help Melinda pass out the presents in the living room. Jim and Aiden are in the kitchen, getting a drink.

"Dad, can I ask you something?" Jim nodded, putting down his drink. "How did you know Mom was the one?" Aiden was nervous. He was sure that Megan was the one, but there wasn't a certain moment that he figured it out. Wasn't he supposed to pinpoint the moment so that he could tell her about it later on down the road? Share it with all of their friends and family at the reception or the anniversary and birthday parties?

Jim looked at his son, seeing him as a grown man, an equal. "As soon as I met her."

Aiden stares at Megan, but she is so oblivious. She's pulled Lacey up onto her lap, whispering something into her ear. Probably stories about where Santa is in the world right now. "I asked her dad if I could ask her to marry me." His voice drops, not wanting Megan to overhear anything.

Jim takes a deep breath. His son really is growing up. "I assume you got his permission."

Aiden nods. "I wanted to know, before I ask her, if I had yours. If you approve."

Jim stands, hands on hips, staring at his son for what feels like an eternity, before he speaks up. "I'm just wondering when you grew up. Yesterday it was your 5th birthday party and Mom was yelling at you to clean up your toys. Now you're getting a degree and getting married and starting a family."

Aiden's not usually one to blush, but he is now. "Dad, stop. You're embarrassing me."

Jim pulls Aiden into a headlock, ruffling his hair. "Hey, married or not, I still have the right to embarrass you." Aiden laughs, pulling away to fix his hair. "She's perfect, son. You did good."


	9. Chapter 9

**Hey guys! I mostly wanted to post this chapter so that I could post this very important author's note with it. I've got this story finished. There's a total of 13 chapters, and an epilogue. I wanted your opinions. Should I go ahead and post the rest of them? Or space them out? It's really up to you all. My preference would be to post them all so that I could get it out of the way without forgetting about it, but that's just me. Please, let me know. **

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><p>It's February 20th, and Megan and Aiden are at Aiden's apartment watching a movie when a ghost begins to mess with the television. It starts turning it off, and whenever Aiden tries to turn it back on to finish the movie, it goes right back off again.<p>

Aiden sighs. Megan looks around. "Ghost?" He nods in answer. "Girl or boy?"

A girl about Megan's age pops up. "Girl."

Megan nods. "Hi. My name is Megan and this is Aiden. I can't see you, but I believe in you. Aiden can talk to you, though, so we can help you with whatever you need."

The girl says nothing. Aiden sighs. "What's your name?" He asks, trying to get some response from her so that he could take care of it quickly. It wasn't that he didn't want to help, he did, it was just that this was one of the first weekends that neither he nor Megan had a ridiculous amount of work to get done for school, and he was enjoying spending it ghost-free.

The girl appears closer to them. "Hanna."

"Well, Hanna—"

"Hanna?" Megan asks, shocked.

Aiden whips his head to Megan. "Do you know her?" There was a look on her face that he hadn't seen before. She looked like she might be sick.

"What does she look like?"

Aiden studies the girl. "She's our age. She's got dark brown hair and light skin. Wearing bright pink nail polish. Her clothes are pretty mauled up. She's got scratches everywhere. "

Megan has gone white. "Does she have a white bracelet with a star charm?"

Aiden checks her wrist, and the ghost rattles said bracelet, looking slightly annoyed. "You do know her." He concludes.

"She was my best friend in elementary school. I had no idea she'd died."

Aiden looks between the girls. Megan is still white, as is Hanna, but for a different reason. "Hanna, what can we help you with? What do you have to do so that you can cross over?"

Hanna shrugs. "Not yet. It's not my time to help yet."

"Do you _know_ what you're supposed to do?"

Hanna raises a hand and points at Megan. "I have to protect her."

He looks at Megan, who looks at him, confused. "Protect her from what?"

"From ending up like me." This is just a whisper in Aiden's ear, but the effect is still chilling. His body goes cold.

Megan looks up at him, noticing the change in body language. "Aiden? What did she say?"

Aiden just shakes his head, silently asking her to give him a minute. He had no idea whether or not he should tell Megan what Hanna said. One part of him believes she has a right to know, because this is the first personal ghost she's come across, and it's her best friend from childhood, and the ghost is supposed to prevent her from dying, which is something Aiden can't bear to think about. Another part of him, however, thinks it's a very bad idea to tell her what Hanna said. What if by telling Megan, she gets put into a situation that unknowingly leads to her vulnerability? Megan wouldn't appreciate being lied to, but what if that's the only choice he has?

He looks at her. She's waiting for an answer from him and looking around as if expecting to see Hanna standing in the corner. His heart breaks. There's no way he can keep this from her, or lie to her. They've never lied to each other, not even about the small stuff. She believed him instantly about his ability, and he was sure he was never going to find someone else like her.

Her positivity ability, what he had taken to calling her "gift" of being overly positive all the time, would probably help them in this situation. Because Hanna was a personal ghost, it might make her stronger and more able to communicate.

He could protect Megan if he was with her at all times, too. That would have to be his plan.

"She says she has to protect you from ending up like her."

Megan goes paler, and looks at Aiden. "What do you mean, 'like her'? As in dead?"

Aiden doesn't say anything, but he doesn't have to. She knows that this ghost is going to be more trouble than any other they've faced.

"I guess we should get started, then?" She says, voice only slightly shaky, turning on the tablet on the coffee table.

He stares at her, for a minute, admiring her spirit. He wishes he could be as driven as she was. She was such a high achiever. She got straight A's in high school, and her grades were almost as good in college. Whenever they got a new ghost, she was the first one to spring into action, looking up any available information and planning when they could go to the archives. Melinda was able to help whenever she was at the shop. There had been talks of making her a partner when she finished school.

Her voice pulls him back to reality. "What, am I doing this one all by myself?" She questions in a sarcastic tone, patting the seat next to her on Aiden's sofa. Aiden had a small apartment in town, while Megan lived with a few friends from Rockland U. She claims they're loud, so she spends most of her time at Aiden's apartment. She even had a key made. She kept clothes and a toothbrush there for emergencies. It was almost like they lived together. Almost. He still hadn't asked her to marry him. He had all the green lights. He just got the nagging feeling that it wasn't the right time. He takes a seat next to her.

"So Hanna was from Littleton?"

Megan nods. "Hanna Atherton, daughter of Craig and Leslie Atherton. She has an older brother, David, and a younger sister, Stephanie."

"You found all that already?" Aiden asks, incredulous.

Megan snorts. "No. She was my best friend in elementary school, remember?"

Aiden gives her a look, taking the tablet. "So do you have any idea how she died? When I saw her, her clothes were pretty ratty, and she had several scratches and deep cuts. "

Megan shakes her head. "Like I said, I didn't even know she was dead. I haven't talked to her in a while. We're friends online, and I think I saw her at a football game a few months ago. So she can't have been dead for long."

Aiden searches the web for Hanna's name. An article pops up. "Look. This must be it. Littleton Female Dies from Bear Mauling. Gruesome." Megan makes a face, but ushers him to open the article. "Littleton native, 20 year old Hanna Atherton died last weekend, as a result of a bear attack. Atherton was walking along Crescent Hill Path in Rockland Forest, when something distracted her from the path. While off the path, she stumbled upon the den of a nursing bear. The bear then preceded to attack Atherton, resulting in the girl's death. She was found by hikers early Sunday morning. Atherton is survived by her parents, Craig and Leslie, and siblings Daniel and Stephanie."

"This article is dated a month ago. Why was she walking trails in the middle of January?"

"It says something distracted her and pulled her off the path. I think we should talk to her parents."

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><p>They decide to go the next day. Hanna's parents aren't much help, but Megan wants to stop and talk to Daniel on the way out. He's working on a truck parked in the driveway.<p>

"Danny!"

The older man wipes his hands on his jeans. "Meggie!" He comes over and gives her a large hug. Aiden has to bite his tongue. His jealously is probably turning his eyes green.

When Daniel sets 'Meggie' down, she turns to Aiden. "Daniel, this is my boyfriend, Aiden Lucas. Aiden, this is my surrogate big brother, Daniel."

It soothes Aiden's nerves a little to know that the relationship is platonic, but when Daniel extends his hand and Aiden sees the man's prominent muscles, he makes the handshake a little shorter than usual. There's no real need for his jealousy, but it's hard to turn off.

"What are you doing in Littleton? I thought you guys moved to Grandview."

"We did. I'm at Rockland U. I actually came to talk to your parents, but they couldn't give me much. I wanted to talk about Hanna."

Daniel's chin falls. "Oh, Hanna."

"Do you know what she was doing when she died?"

"Hiking, like the newspaper said. I wouldn't know exactly, I wasn't there. But I know someone who was with her the day she died. You should talk to her old boyfriend, Alex Carver."

"She dated Alex Carver? The one who she used to make fun of for having freckles everywhere?"

"The very same."

When Aiden and Megan get back in the car, Aiden shakes his head. "It's so weird to see you here. I forget that you didn't grow up in Grandview. I feel like you have this whole other life that I don't know about."

"I'd like to tell you all about it." Megan returns, taking his hand as they drive away.

They learn over the next few weeks that Alex Carver dropped out of Littleton High School, and worked with his dad in the family hardware store. Aiden's able to call in a favor at the police station and find out that Alex Carver has a heavy record, but nothing major. Lots of stuff while he was a juvenile, so they couldn't see that, but once he turned eighteen he started getting a lot of misdemeanors, shoplifting, breaking and entering (to his mother's apartment because he forgot a key, the article claims), and vandalism.

"What was Hanna doing getting mixed up with a guy like this? She was such a good person. Her parents said she was a cheerleader and graduated Salutatorian of her class. She even did community service."

Aiden had learned a lot about Hanna in the past few weeks. One day, Megan brought over her bracelet, the same one that Hanna had, and he noticed she started wearing it daily.

"Maybe that's how they met. It says in this article that Alex got community service for his crimes. Bonded over helping the community or something like that."

She laughs. "Except that Hanna actually cared about the community and Alex was just looking for a way to get off without jail time."


	10. Chapter 10

**Hey guys! Chapter 10 here. This was one of my favorite chapters to write, apart from the epilogue. I really enjoyed showing the progression of Megan and Aiden's relationship as they grow up and start to finish up college. The song for this chapter is Wake Up With Me and it's by Gabrielle Aplin. I only recently discovered her, but she's amazing. **

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><p>Megan and Aiden decide to pay Alex Carver a visit, on an unusually sunny day in the middle of March. They end up in a dark alley in downtown Littleton, knocking on apartment number three.<p>

A very tattooed man answers the door. He probably got the tattoos to cover up the freckles that cover almost every visible inch of skin he has. He has a piercing through his right eyebrow. The ensemble frightens Megan. "What?" The man, presumably Alex, answers in a scruffy voice. It sounds like he's a heavy smoker.

"Are you Alex Carver?"

"Look, I don't know what my landlord told you, but I got the rent money, I swear. Shoved it under his door yesterday."

"I'm not from a collection agency. I came to talk about Hanna Atherton. Your girlfriend."

Megan gets a door slammed in her face. Frustrated, she turns to Aiden. Aiden knocks again.

"Alex, come on man, we just wanna talk."

Alex throws open the door, and Megan looks down to see a knife in one of his hands. She tries to hide her fear. "I don't want to talk about that whore. She's better off dead. Now if you don't leave," Alex pauses, lifting the knife and breathing on it, wiping it with his shirt, "You might get hurt. I wouldn't want a pretty little face like yours to get mauled like hers did."

Aiden pulls Megan back behind him, to protect her. "Don't you dare threaten her like that."

Alex holds the knife. "Would you rather I threaten you instead?"

Megan pulls Aiden down off the doorstep. "We're leaving, thank you." She calls, still clutching onto Aiden's arm.

They quickly get into the car and drive off. Alex watches them until they're out of sight.

"He's scary." Aiden mutters under his breath.

Since they're in Littleton, they planned to meet up and have lunch with Tori and Spencer. Aiden begs out, but Megan wouldn't have it.

"I missed you guys! We should do this more often." Megan says upon seeing her friends.

They get a table at a corner café, much like Lento's. Spencer is reaching to take a drink when Megan snatches her hand. "What is this rock on your finger?!"

Spencer laughs, smiling. "I was wondering how long it would take you to notice. Tyler proposed last weekend! I was going to call you but I thought you'd appreciate hearing the news in person, since I knew I was going to see you."

Megan squealed. "It's so pretty. How did he ask you?"

Spencer launches into the story of how her now-fiancé Tyler proposed, and although he didn't care much for the details, he loved watching Megan's reaction. One day, hopefully very soon, that would be her. He thought for sure he would do it on Valentine's Day, but once again, it just didn't feel right.

"Oh, I forgot to ask, would you like to be a bridesmaid?"

Megan squeals, and draws the looks of several other restaurant patrons. "Oh, my goodness, of course! I'm so excited!"

Spencer smiles. "It's so weird to think that when we were in middle and high school that we used to dream about growing up and being best friends and being in each other's weddings, and now it's actually happening."

Tori laughs. "I never thought you'd be the first one, Spence. Honestly, I thought you'd be the last."

Spencer fakes a shocked look. "I know, you guys thought I would be the old maid of the bunch. The terminal bachelor. But Tyler is the one. He's perfect."

They take a small break to eat their food. Tori looks between Megan and Aiden. "What about you two? Do I hear wedding bells ringing in your future?"

Megan goes beet red, and Aiden almost chokes on his food. The ring was burning a hole in his pocket. He carried it with him everywhere, waiting for the right time.

Megan takes a deep breath, and looks at Aiden. "I don't know, do you want to marry me?" She says it in a joking voice, but Aiden can hear the slight hesitation behind her words, as if the answer could even possibly be 'no'.

To calm her nerves, Aiden replies with a simple, "Yes," looking deep into her eyes. It's enough to make Megan's cheeks go even redder, and Tori and Spencer to reply with a chorus of compliments.

"Me, too." Megan says quietly, and Aiden is the only one that hears it. It makes his heart soar.

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><p>The thunder begins just as they are signing the check for lunch. Megan says goodbye to her friends, and she and Aiden climb into the car. They make small talk for the most part, but it isn't lost on them that they are driving into the storm, and not away from it as they would have liked to be.<p>

It starts pouring ten minutes before they are back at Aiden's apartment.

When Aiden turns the car off, they sit staring out the windshield. The thirty foot walk to the door will soak them. Aiden looks at Megan. "I say we make a run for it."

Megan groans, but reluctantly agrees. After a short countdown, they throw the doors open and slam them, running to the porch.

Aiden reaches it before Megan, but he stops. He is laughing now. Megan is frustrated. She's already soaked to the bone, and Aiden won't open the door. "What are you waiting for?" She calls over the roar of the rain and wind.

"I left the keys in the ignition!" He calls back, already on his way to the car. Megan had left her keys inside, on the counter. She could practically picture them sitting next to the mail and bananas.

Megan wants to be mad, but she can't. The love she feels for Aiden is too strong to waste being mad at him on something so trivial. So she laughs. He obviously saw humor in the situation, too—probably because they were both sopping wet, and getting more wet by the second.

He grabs the keys, and runs back to her. He doesn't go for the door, though. Instead, to Megan's surprise, he grabs her by the waste and picks her up, spinning her around. The water saturating her hair flies in haphazard directions. "What are you doing?" She calls, knowing good and well that he won't set her down until he fulfills whatever burning desire made him do this.

"Apparently, a love isn't real unless you dance in the rain. Just ask Nicholas Sparks." He sets her down, but doesn't give her a chance to respond. He grabs her face, placing a searing kiss on her lips. After he is finished, he pulls back, turning to unlock the door.

"Sometimes, Aiden Lucas, I don't understand you." She shouts over the thunder.

The power is out when they finally enter the apartment. "Great." Aiden moans, throwing the keys on the table by the entryway. Megan stands, out of her element. It's not that she was out of her element. It was just that she was sopping wet, and had no idea where to get out of her clothes, or what to change into. Aiden had already started taking off his jacket, when he caught sight of her standing, somewhat helpless in front of the closed door. "Come on, silly."

Aiden brings her to his bedroom and finds some clothes for her to wear. He hands her a marigold yellow t-shirt and an old pair of basketball shorts. After she changes, she throws her clothes in the dryer with Aiden's wet ones. Hopefully they will be dry by the time she is ready to leave.

When Megan comes back from the laundry room, she is taken off guard. Aiden has had the opportunity to light candles throughout his bedroom. He catches her looking at him. "I just thought it'd be better than sitting in darkness." The sun had just set outside. She nods, trying not to read too much into it. Aiden is wearing a white t-shirt, and it is sticking to his still-wet skin in all the right places. She has to distract herself.

She begins walking through his house, opening the various closets she comes across. She knew exactly what she was looking for, but the problem was that she had never looked for it. Megan didn't even know if it existed.

Aiden follows her. "Can I help you find something? There's blankets in the living room if you're cold."

She throws open the closet door, and gives an exclamation. She's found it. Aiden's board-game collection. Behind her, her boyfriend sniggered. "Really? Are you twelve?"

Grabbing her favorites, she throws him a look. "Well, what did you have in mind? A movie?"

"I have a laptop, you know. Netflix on the iPad, too."

Megan walks back into the bedroom, throwing the games on the bed. "Just be young with me. Please."

A few hours later, the game pieces of Sorry and Trouble lay scattered on the bed. They were now playing a two-in-one game, twenty questions mixed with a thumb war. It was a game they'd created a year or two ago. For every win one person got, they got to ask the other person a question. Aiden was going for his 12th win, but Megan pinned his thumb out of nowhere. She giggled happily, and Aiden gave her a loving gaze as she thought of her question.

"Did you mean what you said earlier? About wanting to marry me?" Because Aiden was watching her, he noticed her face go from content to concerned.

Instead of setting up to start a new question, Aiden reached out and took both of her hands. "Megan Grace Foster. You have no idea how much I love you."

Megan didn't get emotional very often, but every now and again she did. There were tears welling up in her eyes. "Will you tell me?"

Aiden's heart melted. He didn't know how, but every time she did something without thinking about it, like tucking a piece of hair behind her ear, or twisting her earring, or fussing at him for not having his shirt tucked in, he fell in love with her even more. "I love every single part of you. I love your beautiful blue eyes, and your smile. I love the way that your hands fit in mine so perfectly." He squeezed her hand for emphasis. Her eyes were dry, but one tear had managed to escape. He leaned forward to kiss it away. "I love the way you just barely have freckles on your nose. I love the way you're passionate about your work, and school. I love your mind. You make me think things I never would have thought about if I hadn't met you, and it's not a bad thing. I love the way that you say you hate naps but you end up taking one every single Sunday afternoon. I love the way that you can't pass a puppy or a baby on the street without stopping to say how cute it is."

Megan was smiling, her insecurities long gone. It still blew her mind how Aiden knew her better than she knew herself. She would have dropped it there, but he continued.

"And every time I see you stare at those puppies and those babies, I can't help but picture what it would be like to have them with you." Those words melted her heart, and she didn't know if she would ever be able to talk again. "So to answer your question, Megan, yes. I do want to marry you. I've even asked your father."

Megan didn't react any on the outside to that news, but her insides were on fire. Was he going to ask her right now? It wasn't about the way he did it, or the ring. It was getting to spend the rest of her life with someone who made her melt every time he looked at her. She was only waiting for him to ask, so she could say yes.

They sat, staring at each other for a long time, and Megan realized he was waiting for her to say something. "Are you going to ask me?"

There was so much anticipation in her voice that Aiden didn't want to tell her no. He softened it with a laugh. "Not tonight. I will, soon. I promise. I want it to be special."

Megan's shoulders fell. "This is special."

Aiden leaned in and kissed her. "Your hair is sopping wet. Mom told me that I should make sure your hair and makeup are done, and nails too. So when the hidden photographer takes a picture you look your absolute best." He was rambling.

Megan laughed, wrapping her arms around him and pulling him close. "Are you saying that I don't look my best right now?"

Aiden trailed kisses along her jawline. He whispered into her ear. "I prefer you like this, actually."

Megan had to work to control her breathing. "What, in your bed?"

"Yes." Aiden's voice was throaty and full of meaning, and she wanted to look him in his eyes to see if they were thinking the same thing. She pulled back, and stared at him the eyes, her hands resting on his chest. "I have loved you since I met you. In every way but one. I want to love you in every possible way that I can."

Megan's heart was pounding so hard she thought it might burst out of her chest. She couldn't be sure, but she thought she heard Aiden's heart beating as well. She did the only thing she could trust herself to do—pull him closer.

Aiden reacted almost instantly, falling on top of her as her head hit the pillow. "Ow." She pushed him up temporarily, so she could retrieve a Sorry game piece gone rogue.

"Sorry." Aiden said sheepishly. It was the color piece he was playing with.

"I know, that's the point." Her words were playful and seductive all in one, and Aiden was back to kissing her as if it'd never happened.


	11. Chapter 11

**Hey guys! So the outline of this chapter was one of the first that I wrote, and it hasn't changed much since I've filled in the gaps before that. Goes to show how well I stick to the plan! Anyway, this chapter was another favorite of mine to write. The song for this chapter Standing In The Way of the Light, by Birdy. She's probably my all time favorite alternative artist. Give it a listen!**

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><p>Aiden awakes with a start, in a cold sweat. That was the worst dream he'd ever had. Megan was dying, being mauled by a bear with Alex's face. She kept screaming for him to help her, but he was trapped, tied up to a tree not far away. He knew it was just a dream, but he couldn't help thinking it was a sign from Hanna. He'd gotten visions before, but they didn't usually affect him like this. He looked around for her, but she was nowhere to be seen. His eyes fell on the clock, but realized he hadn't reset it after the power went out. Traces of the sun were just beginning to peak through his window, so he guessed the time to be around 7 in the morning.<p>

There was no point in going back to sleep, so he turned over and stared at the beautiful woman lying next to him. Megan's hair was falling over her bare shoulder, and he resisted the urge to kiss every visible part of her.

Last night was perfect. It was everything he'd imagined it being, and more. He would have been more than content if Megan never offered herself to him, and he just got to kiss her. But she gave him everything, and he was so amazed that someone could love him that much.

He wanted to get up and make her breakfast, but didn't want her to wake up alone. He took to tracing small designs on her shoulder.

It was about twenty minutes before she woke up, but he wasn't bored one bit. The sunlight coming through the window bounced off her skin and reflected off her blonde hair. It was most definitely a sight he could get used to.

When she finally did stir, she took a deep breath. She slowly looked over her shoulder. "Good morning." He says, not bothering to stop rubbing her shoulder.

She smiles sleepily at him. "Morning." She rolls over, placing her head on his chest.

"Your clothes are probably dry by now." He says huskily, kissing the top of her head.

She smiles into his chest, placing small kisses here and there. "Maybe we should run them again, just to be sure."

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><p>Later that day, Aiden still can't take his mind off the dream he had. He'd debated telling Megan about it, but decided that it was the best thing for them both to tell her about it. She'd been able to tell that something was bothering him over their breakfast in bed of Lucky Charms, anyway, so denying it was pointless.<p>

"I think I should just take this on my own from here on out. It's too dangerous for you." He finally says later that afternoon. "Alex was into all kinds of nasty stuff. Drugs, crime, and it looks like we can add murder to that list. This guy probably murdered Hanna, and I don't want you near him." Aiden says finally.

Megan sighs. "It was just a dream, Aiden. It doesn't mean anything. I had a dream the other day that I have to save the world from giant dancing gummy bears. Besides, my staying away is not likely. This is the first personal ghost I've ever had. You let me help on countless ghosts I had no connection to whatsoever. I need to help Hanna. She was my best friend. Alex is just a little setback."

"Absolutely not, Megan. I can't risk it. This is some pretty intense stuff, and I don't want you going anywhere near anything, or anyone, she was involved with. I've never had a dream like that before."

"Stop trying to protect me. I'm a grown woman. I'm almost 21. I don't need you to protect me, Aiden." Her voice was more annoyed than anything, but he could tell that she was getting angry. She hated being coddled. But here he was, doing it anyway. Why couldn't he stop himself?

"I can't stand to see you get hurt! You got a murder threat yesterday, for crying out loud!"

"You did, too! Plus, doesn't it make sense to keep me along so you can watch out for me, if you're so worried? You know if you don't let me stay on that I'll go digging on my own, and who knows where I'll end up then? Dead, probably!" It was a low blow, and they both knew it. It stung so hard because she was telling the truth, and they both knew it. Pushing her away only made her work harder for what she wanted. It was always like that.

Aiden throws down the folder on Hanna's case they'd compiled. "That's not funny, Megan. I'm serious. Stay away from this ghost!"

Megan groans. "How can I? It's obvious she's feeding off my energy. I've never been this tired in my entire life. It's like the personal connection magnifies the connection. She'll follow me anywhere I go. And the worst part is that you don't even notice. "

"She wasn't anywhere to be seen last night. When you were here, safe with me. You had plenty of energy then."

Megan gives him a blistering look, and he knows he's dangerously close to crossing the line. That was most likely the meanest thing he'd ever said to her—or anyone, for that matter. He dropped it, trying a softer approach instead. "She told me you were in danger, and this is the only way I know to protect you. Megan, please, just drop this. I'm just trying to keep you safe."

Megan stands, grabbing her coat off the back of the chair. "Why don't you just place me in a padded cell, Aiden? I'm sure then I'd be safe. You know, except for the ghost problem."

Aiden stands, pushing back his chair. "You think my seeing ghosts is a problem?"

"I never get a break from it! They always feed on me. At least you can see them! I'm oblivious, and you expect me to come along and help because they're stronger when I'm there. But I'm weaker when they're there, and you don't even notice! They're like parasites!"

"They're people!"

"Dead people, Aiden! And sometimes you give them more importance than you give me, your living girlfriend!"

Aiden is stabbed in the heart by her words. "That's not true."

Megan is grabbing her purse. "Yes it is, and you know it. Whatever, it doesn't matter. Obviously we just need a break from each other. I need to recharge. So I can be of service to your next ghost."

"Are you breaking up with me?" Aiden's voice cracks. The reason why her words were hurting him so much was because they were true, and it took this to get him to realize it. He couldn't stand to see her walk away from them, especially after last night. He had a ring, for crying out loud. A _ring._

Megan sighs, hesitating. He thinks he hears her breath shaking, and just maybe her eyes are shining a little more than normal. "I just need some time to figure things out. I'll call you."

She walks out, without a kiss, and that's when Aiden knows he really screwed up. He sighs, and pushes a chair over in frustration. Hanna is there, briefly, and then she goes away, presumably to follow Megan.

How could he have let her walk out like that? He runs outside, trying to stop her, but she is already gone. He thinks he maybe sees the tail end of her car turning out onto the main road, but he can't be sure.

"Dammit!"


	12. Chapter 12

**Hey guys! Here is Chapter 12! The story itself is nearing the end, but the action is just now winding up! I hope you enjoy the way that I've taken this story. This chapter is pretty short, but it's got a lot of grit to it. I think the next chapter will be longer. The song for this chapter is This is What it Feels Like, and the version I chose is by Jasmine Thompson.  
><strong>

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><p>He goes a week without hearing from her. He's almost called her five or six times, but she said she needed space, and he was going to give it to her. He texted her to tell her to call when she's ready, and that he loves her. He could at least do something right. Megan would call when she was ready, with her decision, whatever that was. He didn't want to think about the possibilities. It was too painful.<p>

Aiden's been doing work on his own, though, to pass the time. It's very hard to get Hanna to talk to him; she spends most of her time with Megan. He gets a few snippets, and figures out that it might not exactly be completely true that she was mauled by a bear. He'd suspected Alex had something to do with her death ever since he made the comment about Megan being mauled. If what Hanna said was true, and her goal was to save Megan from dying, then there was nothing he could do but try and put an end to this before it came to any life-threatening situations.

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><p>Megan was walking along the trail that Hanna was walking along when she died. There had to be something here, something that would tell her why Hanna died. She was determined to find something. "Hanna? Are you here? Can you give me a sign? Am I going in the right direction?"<p>

Megan feels a surge of energy taken from her, and sees a rock move up ahead, near a tree. "Thank you, Hanna." She continues ahead, but her head spins. "Whoa." She pauses, catching her breath.

When she reaches the path, she goes dizzy as a branch swings up ahead. She follows Hanna's leads. She reaches a steep bank. "What pulled you off the path, Hanna? Can you show me that?" Her breaths are shallow, and she can barely stand, but she refuses to stop until she figures this out. Aiden will realize after she cracks this before him that she can and will do anything she can to help Hanna. She doesn't need his help, anyway.

Megan sees white spots as a surge of water calls to her up ahead. She thinks it's a waterfall. Her eyes flutter, and she falls to her knees. She's never passed out before, but she's pretty sure it's happening right now. She has absolutely no energy left, not even enough to ask Hanna to stop using her energy.

Behind her, she thinks she hears a rumble, but for all she knows it could be the blood pumping at the base of her skull. And then everything crumbles.

Rocks comes flying down beside her. The hill on the other side of the path has given way, and the rocks are flying at her. One hits her in the back, and Megan falls down the hill. She rolls across thorn bushes, scraping her face. She has no energy to scream. She knows she can't stop herself; she has too much momentum. She would at least try to slow herself down, but Hanna has taken all of her energy. She is a rag doll, being thrown down through bushes and on top of rocks. Rockslide.

So much pain. She has never felt this much pain. It hurts everywhere. And then she lands. Her head hits a sharp rock, and the blow is enough to make black crowd the edges of her vision. She lifts a feeble hand to try and feel her head, and her fingers come back sticky. That's not good. And then she hears a crunch.

The pain comes later. She hadn't realized the rock had landed on her leg until she tried to move it. It was certainly broken. She knew she was in shock, and badly injured, and she was losing a lot of blood and she had a serious injury on her head. Megan knew she was in trouble.

She just wanted to close her eyes, just for a second. When she closes her eyes, she sees a bright light. It's so beautiful, and no words she has in her current vocabulary could accurately describe it. She thinks that she can see someone. The shape and the haircut are too familiar—Aiden. Thinking his name pricks her heart—she's still mad at him. But why would he be in the light?

With a shock, Megan realizes that it's _the light_. The one that means she's dying. No wonder she sees Aiden. "…Aiden," She whispers, trying to get his attention. She's still alive, right? In a coma, or unconscious or something. She's not dead. She couldn't die. She was only 21. She wasn't married. She was supposed to get married to Aiden and have three kids and name them Sophie and Matt and Jenny. She has plans. She has to graduate. She has to… She…

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><p>He's sitting at his desk, staring at Megan's ring (something he's done at least once a day since Megan left), when Hanna pops up. "She's in trouble! You have to come quickly!"<p>

"…Aiden." He hears a small whisper, and he recognizes Megan's voice. He looks around him, but she's not here. He realizes immediately what he's heard—her dying voice. She _is_ in trouble. He haphazardly throws the ring in his pocket and grabs his stuff. He dials his mom on the way.

"Hello?"

"Mom, meet me at the Rockland Forest visitors entrance right now, please. Megan's in trouble. I think she's hurt—bring dad and Eli and call 911!"

"We're on our way."

Hanna starts to ride with him, but he yells at her, "Stay with her!" and she's gone.

His mother, father, and Eli are already in the parking lot when he arrives. "Megan's in trouble. I don't know where she is. Hanna? Where is Megan?"

Hanna appears, and Melinda takes in the tattered clothing. Some of Hanna's wounds are gone, but the larger ones still remain. She's getting close to being able to cross over. "This way." Eli's head turns to the direction of the voice, and they all head down the path. Aiden wants to run, to sprint, but the path is slippery and crumbly, and his parents probably wouldn't be able to keep up without getting hurt.

"What was she doing out here alone in the first place?" Melinda asks, breathless from trying to keep up with Aiden.

"We got in a fight last week, said she needed space. So that's what I've been trying to give her. I should have known she'd keep digging on her own. I just thought by keeping her away from me, I'd be protecting her."

Melinda sighs. "She loves you, Aiden. It was probably hurting her that you asked her to stay away. She needs to know you're safe, too. You knew that if you pushed her away she would do research on her own. She can't see them, but she cares about them in ways that you or I could never imagine. She's a special girl. You're lucky to have her."

"Mom, please don't get all mushy. We need to find her.

Hanna stops at a steep slope up ahead and points to the bottom. "She's down there."

Aiden runs as fast as he can without falling, which isn't very fast. The others follow, more slowly.

The group peers down the slope to see that Megan is laying at the bottom, surrounded by a few large rocks. There's one under her head, and one on top of her foot. Her entire leg is pinned.

Aiden is the first to reach her, Jim following shortly behind. She's unconscious. "Megan! Megan, can you hear me?" Aiden collapses at her side, shaking her gently. He checks for a pulse, and she has one, but it's very, _very_ weak. Her breaths are shallow. He doesn't need to be a doctor to see that Megan is not in good shape.

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><p>Megan doesn't know where she is. She can't see her body or Aiden or even the light anymore.<p>

Well, that's not entirely true. She _can_ see Aiden. She is staring at him. Their first meeting. When he walked her home. The ballet. The wedding. Christmas. Prom. If Megan was capable of crying wherever she was, she would be doing it. She can't see, can't feel anything except Aiden. The first conversation they had about the future. When he told her he wanted to marry her. _That night. _The night they loved like she hadn't thought possible. _Love. _She felt so much love for him, that she was picturing him at this exact moment. He's hunched over her body, crying and gripping her shoulders. She looks around. Everything is hazy. She sees something. A girl.

Hanna.

With a start, Megan realizes that she's dying. She can see her body, her own self, laying on the ground. She doesn't look good. There's a lot of blood under her head and a large rock on her leg. She looks down at her leg. It does look kind of crooked. She looks at Aiden, and tears prick her vision. Everything was hazy to begin with, but now, it was all a blur. This is not good.


	13. Chapter 13

**Hey guys! This is probably the last official chapter of this story, but there's an epilogue for sure! Stay tuned!**

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><p>Aiden wants to ask Hanna what happened. She is standing there, but Aiden begins to see another ghost appearing. And he immediately wish he wasn't. It's Megan.<p>

She is faint, but she is there. "Aiden? What's happening?" He can see through her. That's never happened before. He shoots a glance to his mother. Judging by the look on her face, it isn't something she's seen either.

If he wasn't crying before, he certainly is now. He's trying to shake Megan's body, more forcefully now. "No! Megan, get back in your body. It's not your time yet! Please, just live!" This can not be happening. She was dying. The love of his life, his future wife. His best friend was dying right in front of him and there was absolutely nothing that he could do except talk to her. He prayed to God that it would be enough.

"Aiden, I see the light. It's so beautiful. I see my grandmother. She wants me to come with her." She turns to look behind her. He can see her subconsciously lean towards where he assumes the light. She is fading fast, and he is losing more and more of her by the minute.

"It's not your time yet, Megan. You have to fight!" Aiden sobs. It's becoming harder to see Megan through his tears.

Aiden barely notices Hanna nod, but Melinda has barely taken her eyes off the brunette ghost. "He's right, Megan. That's not your light, it's mine. Your grandmother can wait."

Melinda is crying, and Eli is looking around with big eyes, trying to pinpoint the ghosts. Jim is obliviously tending to Megan's wounded leg.

"Eli, help me move this boulder. I want to free her up for when the paramedics get here to stabilize her. Eli rushes to help him, and together they roll off the boulder. Her lower leg is shattered, that's a fact. Aiden thinks he might puke, so he tears his eyes away and stares at Megan. If he could will her to live, she would. But obviously it's not about him. This is a choice that she has to make on her own. It's as simple as that at this point. If Megan wants to live, she'll live.

Megan tries to move back into her body, but she can't seem to move. "I can't! I'm too weak! I don't… I don't have enough energy. Aiden, I'm so sorry. This is all my fault!" Megan is crying. Everyone is crying. Aiden's heart is breaking more and more each second.

Hanna moves closer to Megan's energy. "Use my energy. It was yours to begin with, anyway."

Megan's tears come faster, and her ghost is almost becoming more visible, which is not a good thing. It means she's really dying. "What's going to happen to you, Hanna?" Aiden doesn't understand at first why that matters to Megan, but he almost instantly realizes how selfish he's being. Of course Megan would care about her friend. Him getting angry wouldn't add anything to the situation.

Hanna smiles, and Aiden just wants this all to be over with. "I've got a very good offer over here. Take all the energy you need, and I'll be okay. This is what's supposed to happen. I was always meant to help you, remember?"

Aiden doesn't have the energy to cry any more. He is still, looking at the exchange between both ghosts. Slowly, incredulously, Hanna's ghost fades, and Megan slowly fades away.

For a fearful moment, Aiden thinks that Megan crossed over. That he's lost her forever. And then—Megan's body coughs. It actually shakes under his hands. Aiden laughs with joy, the sound garbled and distorted through all the emotion in his body. "Megan! Oh, thank God!"

Megan tries to sit up, but Jim holds her down gently by the shoulders. Aiden probably shouldn't have shaken her so much, because she could have major head trauma. The rock beneath her head is stained red. Megan looks around. "I saw my body, Aiden. I was so scared that I was going to die! I'm so sorry."

Aiden pulls her into a tight hug. "I heard you whisper my name. Do you remember that?"

Megan nods meekly. "I was so scared after I fell. My leg was pinned and I knew I hit my head and I would probably pass out. I started to see the light and I saw you. I should have listened to you, Aiden. I'm so sorry."

Aiden laughs, kissing her all over her face. Their tears are mixing on Megan's face. "There is nothing to be sorry for. If I had just let you tag along, you wouldn't have been here. This is all my fault."

Suddenly, Aiden realizes why no other time had felt right. Of course he wouldn't have felt right proposing to Megan under a thousand stars or in the candlelight or in front of a large fountain. Megan wasn't any of those things. Sure, she was beautiful. But her beauty started on the inside and radiated out. She cared about others wholeheartedly, and almost died trying to help a dead girl.

She was crazy, and funny, and stupid sometimes. Like when she goes traipsing off into the woods unaccompanied trying to solve a murder. But she's Megan. Perfect in every single way. And having almost lost her, he realized something about himself. He would never be Aiden without Megan. She was so engrained in every single aspect of who he was that she was a part of him. And he never wanted to lose her.

"I'm not going to let it happen again." So e reaches into his pocket, and pulls out the ring, and shifts so that he is on one knee in front of her. Megan looks only mildly emotional, until Aiden tilts the ring to show her the inscription. Then the tears start flowing again. Written in small font on the inside of the ring is _Partners in Crime_.

"Partners in crime." She whispers, holding out her shaky, bloody hand.

"Forever." Aiden smiles, slipping the ring on her finger.

Megan laughs, the sound garbled. "You really know how to plan a proposal, babe."

Everyone laughs, and the air shifts. They were on their way out of the woods. The grave situation was taking a turn for the better. There was a wedding to plan, after all.

Hanna's ghost appears again, shockingly, surrounded by The Watchers. Melinda smiles at her old friends. "You did get a good offer, Hanna."

Carl smiles and places a hand on Hanna's shoulder. "Hanna was a very brave friend. Even though she saw the light, she chose to fade away to save her friend. She's worthy of staying, helping many more souls."

"What was that?" Megan's head whips around, not even wincing.

Melinda's eyes grow wide. "You heard that?" There is an idea forming in Aiden's mind, but there is absolutely no way it's possible. Not even a little bit.

"Was it a ghost? Did I hear a ghost?"

Hanna laughs. "I don't know, can you hear me, Meggie?"

"I just heard a ghost." Megan's face goes white, but Aiden isn't worried. He knows he should be. This is proof that his girlfriend-fiancée, actually died. She had a near-death-experience and can now hear ghosts. He thought it was rare having met Eli, and now he was getting married to a girl that could hear ghosts. This is how he knew he was certifiably crazy. Any other person would be scared. He was excited.

"Hanna, thank you for saving me. I'm sorry we didn't stay friends as we got older. You were my first and best friend." Megan says to the air.

Hanna smiles. "You always made me feel like I mattered, like I was so special. But you was the special one, Meggie. You have so much spirit. You're so alive. You _deserve_ to live a long and happy life." Melinda touches a hand to her heart.

Megan smiles, a tear falling down her face. Aiden is glad that Megan heard the words herself. That was one phrase that would have lost a lot of meaning in the transfer. Hanna places a hand on Megan's shoulder, and Megan whips around to look at her empty shoulder. "Our deal still stands. You know what I'm talking about, of course?"

Every last ounce of doubt that Megan won't be okay flies out the window when Aiden hears her sweet laugh, strong and throaty this time. "How could I forget?"

Hanna steps back with the other Watchers. "Goodbye, Megan." And then, the group fades away.

They hear the sound of a search and rescue team coming.

Aiden is curious though. "What is this deal that you two spoke of?"

"Leave it to Hanna to bring something so trivial." Everyone wants an explanation. She just shakes her head. "Something for the future."

At some point, Eli had alerted the search and rescue team of their location, and they arrive now. They stabilize Megan's neck, and lift her onto the stretcher. Aiden refuses to let go of her hand the entire time it takes to get to the ambulance.

"Sorry, buddy, you can't ride unless you're family," the EMT says sternly.

Megan speaks up. "He's my fiancé." She says, with a giggle. Aiden gives her a smile, and then waits for an answer from the paramedics. The giggle is a good sign, in his opinion.

They sigh, but hold the door open for him regardless.

* * *

><p>Of course, Megan's parents and brother got there as soon as they heard the news-apparently Melinda had called them on the way over to the hospital.<p>

It was a scary day, and a close call. It turns out Megan only had a surface wound and a slight concussion to her head. Apparently, head wounds bleed a lot. Her leg was broken into several pieces, and they would do reconstructive surgery later in the week, once her vitals had stabilized and her blood pressure was back to normal.

After Melinda, Jim, and Megan's family left, Aiden was sitting in a chair beside Megan's hospital bed.

"I'm dying to know," Aiden starts, breaking the silence. It's very late, and Megan's eyes are starting to droop. They have her on pain medicine, but they upped the dosage so she could get a good night's sleep. "What is this deal you and Hanna made?"

Megan laughs, probably trying to keep herself from slipping into sleep. "It's silly, really. We had this game when we were little. We would play dolls, and pretend they were our babies. We'd always name them after each other. When I would say 'Hanna', she'd say, 'Which one?', and we'd collapse into giggles. That day we promised each other we would name our daughters after each other." Megan's voice got drowsier as her sentences went on, and now she was almost asleep.

Her eyes flutter shut, and Aiden leans in to kiss her on the forehead. "Hanna Lucas. I like it." He whispered, but she was already asleep.

* * *

><p>Megan couldn't wait to call Tori and Spencer. She actually did it the next day, right after the doctor checked on her during breakfast. They were to be her bridesmaids, after all. She told them she was in the hospital, but nothing about the engagement, and they said they were already on their way.<p>

They arrived within the hour, which was a little worrying because it should have taken a good hour and fifteen minutes. They must have been speeding. Not to mention the fact that they had time to stop and get flowers.

"Megan!" They hug her, gently, in turns. Spencer places the flowers on the bedside table.

"Hi, guys. I'm glad you could come so soon." Megan snorts.

Tori, as expected, chooses to ignore the snide remark. "Believe it or not, we were actually on our way already. We wanted to come down to the antique shop you work in and see if we could find some vintage jewelry for Spencer's wedding."

Megan nodded, blushing. "Sorry to spoil your plans."

Spencer shewed away the idea. "That can wait. The wedding's 4 months away. You are much more important, my friend."

"More important than a wedding?"

Tori gives her an incredulous look. "Of course you are."

Megan gives Aiden a look, trying to hide her smile. "Oh, so I guess you don't want to hear about how I'm engaged now."

It takes them a minute, but before long all three girls are in a squealing session. Spencer takes Megan's hand to see the ring. She looks to Aiden approvingly. "Nice job, buddy."

Aiden smiles. "I'm going to get some coffee." And with that, he leaves the three gabbing girls to do what they do best. Gab.

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><p>Over the next few weeks, Megan has surgery on her leg and begins physical therapy. She also begins planning their wedding, with the help of her mother and Melinda. Tori and Spencer want to help as much as possible, but Spencer is planning her own as well. They come visit Megan often, though.<p>

Aiden finishes the case of Hanna Atherton from there. He tips off the police that Alex Carver was responsible, and that was all they had to do. He was arrested just days after Megan's accident, and that was that.

Megan finished her classes online that semester, and she never even dropped below a B average. Aiden was excited to say that he would finally, officially, be spending the rest of his life with a girl as amazing as her. They're getting married in September, and then they get to start life together. He couldn't wait for the normalcy of it all. Well, as normal as a couple who could see and hear ghosts could ever be. But then again, normal was always a little overrated anyway.

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><p><strong>There you have it! The Positive Feedback Loop! Epilogue will be up shortly. Thanks for sticking with me through this whole thing! :) Please, if you like my writing, follow me! I don't post new things often, but I do pick up a new project every now and again. Thank you again! Love, Hopefully536<strong>


	14. Epilogue

**Hey guys! Here's the epilogue to The Positive Feedback Loop! Hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it. The song for this chapter is You're The Reason I Come Home, by Ron Pope. Also, at the end of the chapter I'm going to post the entire playlist for the story in case you missed a song or two or just want to go back and listen. Thanks!**

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><p>Today was quite possibly the worst day of Aiden's career so far. He'd gone to Rockland University per request of Rick Payne, to help counsel some students who had lost their friend to suicide. A young girl had taken her own life, and her boyfriend was having a very hard time dealing with it. Aiden ended up having to call someone in from the hospital to have him sedated. It was so hard to watch.<p>

He thought maybe it was so hard for him because he kept remembering when he'd almost lost Megan. That was the hardest day of his life, and he was thankful that she came back to him. That was such a long time ago, it was hard to remember all the details, but the grief and panic were still very real feelings.

He pushed open the door. He heard sounds coming from the kitchen, and tracked down the source of the noise. There were two blondes in his kitchen. One of them was making a large mess, and the other was trailing behind, trying to contain it.

"Daddy's home!" The little blonde squealed. She ran up to him, and his heart soared. He gathered her in his arm and threw her into the air, her giggles filling the kitchen.

"Hanna Banana! How was your day?" She wrapped her arms around his neck and held on as he leaned down to kiss Megan. "Hi, love." She smiled up to him.

"Mommy stayed home with me and we made cu…cup…" The two-year-old looked troubled, looking to her mother. Megan leaned in to whisper to Hanna. Aiden pretended not to hear her. "Cupcakes. We made cupcakes for you, Daddy."

"Thank you, baby. It was a tough day today." He was talking to his wife now. He set Hanna down so she could go back to slathering frosting and sprinkles haphazardly all over the cupcakes.

Megan wrapped herself in Aiden's arms. "Do you want to talk about it?"

"Not right now. I think I have some cupcakes to eat!" He said, snatching away the cupcake that Hanna was about to sneak into her mouth.

"Only one, for each of you. Dinner will be ready soon." Megan insists. Aiden and Hanna nod, but when Megan walks away, Hanna reveals her fingers that were crossed behind her back. Aiden smiles down at his daughter, revealing his own crossed fingers. Like father, like daughter. He places a finger to his lip and scoots a cupcake toward his wife's miniature, her tiny giggles music to Aiden's ears.

* * *

><p>Later, after dinner, Hanna had fallen asleep laying across their laps on the couch. Megan was stroking her hair as she talked to Aiden about his day.<p>

"Was her ghost there? The girl that killed herself?"

Hanna hadn't mentioned anything about seeing ghosts yet, but it was something they were slowly preparing themselves for. Aiden would be able to help her more than Megan would, her only being able to hear them, but they would work as a team. They always did. Partners in crime.

"Yes. She was hurting so much seeing her boyfriend in so much pain. It reminded me of your accident." Megan found Aiden's face with her hand in the flickering light of the abandoned TV show. "I'm just so thankful for the life I have. You're the reason I come home. You and Hanna are my world."

Megan smiles, and gives Aiden a look. He decides to call it apprehension. "Do you think you have room in your world for one more?" Her words were loaded, and Aiden recognized it immediately.

"Are you pregnant?"

Even though it was dark, Aiden could see the blonde blush. "Maybe. I don't know. I haven't taken a test yet. But would it be so bad? Hanna's almost three now."

Aiden tried his hardest not to wake Hanna as he leans over to kiss Megan. "I could make room for 7 more little girls that look like you. How late are you?"

"5 weeks."

"Why did you wait so long to tell me?" He's not mad, just worried. Usually, Megan tells him every little thing going on in her life.

"I thought it was stress at first. Mel's been talking about retiring and making me partner and cutting back hours and expanding all at once and it's hard to juggle all the possibilities. And then I woke up this morning sick to my stomach, and I started to put the pieces together. Plus, I promised Hanna we'd make cupcakes, but as soon as I smelled the batter I regretted my decision."

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><p>Two hours later, after Aiden finally convinced Megan to run to the store for a test, they're standing in their bathroom, staring at each other, waiting for the timer to go off.<p>

Finally, the timer goes off, and it makes them both jump. Aiden reaches for the test. "Wait." Megan says quietly, wringing her hands. "If it's negative, I want to start trying. I want another baby, Aiden. I didn't realize how bad until just now when I realized that a negative would kill me."

Aiden pulled Megan into his arms, kissing the top of her head. "Of course."

Megan is fighting tears, which is why she stays in Aiden's arms for longer than usual. He doesn't mention anything, though. He never does. Just gives her time. She finally pulls back, and smiles at him. "Ready?"

"On three."

Megan smiles, reaching a hand to the test. "One."

Aiden grips Megan's other hand in his two larger ones. "Two."

"Three."

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><p><strong>The Positive Feedback Loop - Playlist<strong>

**1. All About You- Birdy**

**2. Unsteady- X Ambassadors**

**3. Can't Help Falling In Love- Ingrid Michaelson**

**4. Tenerife Sea- Ed Sheeran**

**5. Wherever You Will Go- Charlene Soraia**

**6. Smash Into You- Beyoncé**

**7. 18- OneDirection**

**8. Stealing Cinderella- Chuck Wicks**

**9. Wake Up With Me- Gabrielle Aplin**

**10. Standing in the Way of the Light- Birdy**

**11. This is What it Feels Like- Jasmine Thompson**

**12. You're The Reason I Come Home- Ron Pope**


	15. Sequel Information

Hey guys! In case you haven't realized, I posted a sequel to this story. It's a series of oneshots, taking place throughout the lives of Megan and Aiden. It's called The Positive Feedback Loop: The Lost Chapters. Enjoy. You can access it through my author page!


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